Turnabout Hearts - Days
by EmeraldWings1992
Summary: BK 1 - The WAA has a new member. Aurora Wright, cousin of Phoenix and Ace Intern. Though her story starts in the courtrooms of Los Angeles, her destiny lies far beyond, in the worlds as countless as the stars. All it takes is a chance run in with a witness, a boy wearing a blindfold, before her journey begins. One that will ultimately lead to her missing brother and to her destiny.
1. The Intern

**A/N:** Hey guys! Here is another story. Some info first. (you can skip down to **A/N2:** if you want info that's just relevant to the story).

See, I've been a huge fan of _Kingdom Hearts_ since it first came out (back in 2001). I've always been obsessed with this game, and I had a friend who turned me onto fanfiction using this game. I used to write _KH_ fanfiction all the time thanks to that.

But see, the thing is… she wasn't a very good friend. She was actually a _horrible_ friend. And I dealt with her for eleven years. Granted, I didn't realize how bad a friend she was until we lived together for four of those years in college, but still. It wasn't until we moved states, I graduated college, and changed both my cell and house number that I could get away from her.

But… she almost ruined _Kingdom Hearts_ for me. She _**did**_ ruin _Kingdom Hearts_ fanfiction for me for the longest time. To the point where I created a whole new fanfiction account and wrote about 26 _Ace Attorney/Professor Layton/Uncharted/Sherlock/Danny Phantom_ fics, without ever thinking about a _Kingdom Hearts_ one. I never even read any _Kingdom Hearts_ fanfiction for years.

I have _Kingdom Hearts 2.8_ , and, more importantly, WolfieRed23 for helping me get out of this funk. Talking to Wolfie about 2.8 and our theories… reading one of their _KH_ fanfictions at their request (I don't do that for just anyone, thank you very much), it all helped. And for that, I'm incredibly grateful.

So, I finally decided to write this fic. It's a crossover with _Ace Attorney_ , and features an OC who has strong ties to both _Ace Attorney_ and _Kingdom Hearts_ characters.

 **A/N2:** Faithful readers will know that this fic (and all in the universe I've built up) ignores _Spirit of Justice_ (not that I don't like it, it's just I built this universe up before that game released), and that Phoenix's family lives in Pennsylvania. This is set between _Kingdom Hearts – Re:Chain of Memories_ and _Kingdom Hearts 2,_ and RIGHT AFTER my story, _A Mother's Dilemma_ (which is directly after _Dual Destinies_ ). The only thing relevant that happens in my universe before this point is that Apollo and Trucy know their siblings and that Thalassa is their mom.

Oh, uh… fair warning. I decided to not write an outline for this. Yep, I'm flying by the seat of my pants for this one! (If I get stuck, I will write an outline, I just wanted some freedom with this one… *wrings hands together in a panic*)

Alright, enough talking from me! Here we go!

…

Chapter One: The Intern

It was just an average Saturday afternoon when Apollo and Athena walked into the Wright Anything Agency. They had just finished a grueling trial day against Simon Blackquill, who, for being proved innocent, was no less twisted then their first trials against him. However, the last thing they expected to find was their boss, Phoenix Wright, dragging a small desk through a path of his daughter's magic props.

"Er, boss? Are we downgrading or something?" Athena asked, noticing that the desk was actually much smaller than her and Apollo's already small desks. "Cause not all of Polly's manga will fit on that."

"I have that for important research!" Apollo protested, causing Athena to grin.

Phoenix looked up.

"Huh?" He looked back at the desk. "Oh, no, not at all! We're getting an intern, actually," he said, giving the desk another tug. "Apollo, can you help me with this?" he asked.

"Sure thing, Mr. Wright," the man in red said, dropping his bag onto the couch and walking over, helping the older man place the desk in the corner. Phoenix smiled and nodded.

"Perfect."

"So, an intern?" Athena asked brightly.

"Probably not a paid one. He can barely afford to pay us," Apollo muttered, knowing Athena's sensitive ears would pick up on it. She giggled at his comment.

"I heard that," Phoenix said in a mockingly offended voice. "But no, she's not a paid one."

"Told ya," Apollo said with a grin. Phoenix rolled his eyes.

"So, where is she? Who is she? When does she start?" Athena asked brightly. Phoenix laughed at her enthusiasm.

"Trucy's picking her up from the airport as we speak as she just flew in from Pennsylvania, her name is Aurora, and as soon as she's settled," Phoenix said, answering all of her questions in order.

Before anything else could be said, the door to the Agency slammed open, and Trucy bounced in. "And here we are! Welcome to the Wright Anything Agency!" she announced over her shoulder.

Following behind her was a girl who was about her size and age. She had short, dirty blond hair that was tied back, with some fringes falling in her eyes. Her pony-tail was spiky though, looking similar to Phoenix's signature style. She wore a black tank-top under a royal-blue top, with a denim skirt that went to mid-thigh. Under the skirt were black, tight shorts, and a pair of ankle high boots. On the shirt were four pins over her left breast. Completing the look was a black choker and a shoulder bag covered in more pins.

The young woman's dark brown eyes darted between the two younger lawyers, before she relaxed and smiled. Suddenly, she darted forward, throwing her arms around Phoenix.

"Hi, Nick!" she said excitedly. Phoenix laughed.

"Hey Aurora. How was the flight?" he asked, hugging her back.

"Eh…" Aurora answered with a small shrug. Phoenix smiled sympathetically and let go, keeping an arm wrapped around her shoulders, turning her to the two younger lawyers, who looked completely dumbfounded.

"Apollo, Athena, this is my cousin, Aurora Wright. She'll be staying with me and Trucy while attending Themis, and she'll act as the Wright Anything Agency's intern. Aurora, these are my understudies, Apollo and Athena," he said.

"Apollo's also my biological brother!" Trucy added, leaning against the man in red. Apollo shook his head slightly with a smile, holding a hand out to the girl. Aurora took it, giving his hand a firm shake.

"It's nice to meet you," Apollo said.

"Likewise," Aurora replied, before shaking Athena's hand as well.

"You must be that new student Junie was talking about! She said she'll be the one to show you around, as head of the student counsel. And, oh, you're just so cute! You and the boss even share the same kinked eyebrows!" Athena said brightly. Both cousin's reached up to feel their eyebrows, glancing at one another, before laughing.

"I've never noticed," Phoenix chuckled, before looking around. "Wait, where's your luggage?"

"Oh, don't worry Daddy! I have it all right here!" Trucy said as, in a puff of smoke, her magic panties appeared.

"Ah," Phoenix muttered, chuckling. He then looked at Aurora. "That'll be your desk," he said, motioning to the new addition. "Once you get settled, I'll let you help me with the paperwork, okay?"

"Sure thing, Nick," Aurora said with a smile, before looking over at Trucy. "Uh, do you think I can get my laptop case?" she asked.

"Right! One… two… three!" There was a large puff of smoke, and Trucy was suddenly holding a laptop bag. The front was covered in even more pins, some the others recognized from retro video games. Apollo couldn't take it anymore.

"What are all those pins for?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, every time I beat a video game, I buy a pin that has something from it," Aurora answered with a smile. "Kind of like real life badges, you know?"

"Uh-huh…" Apollo answered slowly.

"That's such a cool idea! Maybe we should do that for every case we win, Polly!" Athena said brightly.

"And what about the cases we don't win?" Apollo asked, quirking an eyebrow at the younger woman.

"Oh… uh…" Athena flicked her earring thoughtfully. "We just… pretend it didn't happen?"

"Right… I think I'll pass…" Apollo said, getting a strong sense of déjà vu. Aurora smiled at that and went over to her new desk, getting settled. Phoenix, on the other hand, looked at his two understudies.

"Don't you two have an investigation or something?" he asked. Athena jumped.

"Oh, right!" she gasped, before grabbing Apollo's wrist. "Common!" she yelled, dragging him out. Phoenix shook his head with a chuckle.

"Are they… always like that?" Aurora asked, opening her laptop.

"Yep!" Trucy said brightly. Phoenix chuckled.

"Ah, to be young again," he said in a mockingly wistful tone as he retreated to his office to gather paperwork for Aurora to help with.

Aurora smiled slightly, shaking her head.

 _(This will be… interesting._ ) She thought, placing a loving hand over her shoulder bag.

…

 **A/N:** Tada! Aurora will be a fun character to write. Her back story isn't nearly as tragic as Athena's, but it's more tragic the Phoenix's. If that makes sense?

Anyway, that whole "doing x for each case we win." "what if we don't win?" exchange. I know it happened somewhere, and I'm pretty sure with Apollo, but I can't remember if it was with Athena or Trucy, or even what case it was. BUT I DEFINITELY REMEMBER THAT EXCHANGE HAPPENING SOMEWHERE!

And… I'm pretty sure it wasn't in _Spirit of Justice_? I hope it wasn't… if it was… er… oops? I feel like it had to do with pictures… and the more I think about it, I think it was in the Magical Turnabout… Oh well.


	2. Family Business

**A/N:** Back again! And my profile is all updated with the info of this story and of Aurora. By the way, Aurora means dawn in Latin. Just a little something to think about.

Alright, not much to say here! So… here we go!

…

Chapter Two: Family Business

As Apollo and Athena investigated, they couldn't help but think about the newest addition to the Agency.

"I can't believe the boss has family in Pennsylvania… It just doesn't… fit," Athena said, glancing at her partner, who was kneeling and inspecting something. "Did you know about this?"

"Hm? Yeah. Trucy told me all about her grandparents and Aunt and Uncle. Apparently, Mr. Wright's whole family lives in Pennsylvania," Apollo replied. "When he was younger, his dad transferred here for a job, and his parents didn't retire and move back until right after he got a job with Ms. Fey."

"What!?" Athena gasped. "And here I always thought he was an orphan…"

Apollo froze for a minute before turning to look up at the ginger.

"Why would you just assume something like that about someone?" he asked incredulously.

"Well, I dunno," Athena shrugged. "It just almost seemed like a prerequisite for working with the Wright Anything Agency. I mean, I am, and you and Trucy… were?" She flicked her earring thoughtfully. "I'm not even sure you two could be considered orphans since you still had a living parent…"

Apollo stared at the woman for a moment longer before shaking his head and returning back to the investigation.

…

Once they finished their investigation for the day, they returned back to the office. Aurora was asleep on the couch, while Phoenix and Trucy discussed dinner. Apollo stopped when spotting the girl.

"I didn't think she'd get jetlag from a one- or two-hour time difference," he said. Phoenix looked up for a moment, before laughing.

"She didn't. She just has a hard time sleeping around a lot of people, so she didn't sleep on the plane," he said. As he spoke, Aurora groaned softly, curling into a ball, before opening her eyes. She glanced around before quickly sitting up.

"Oh! Sorry. I didn't mean to take up the whole couch," she said.

"It's alright. We just got back," Athena said with a smile, sitting next to her. She decided if she was going to be working with the new intern, she might as well get to know her better. "So, what's your family like?"

"Hm? Well, my parents are great. Super caring, even if they're a little over protective at times. Usually the wrong times…"

"Aren't all good parents?" Trucy asked brightly, glancing over at Phoenix.

"Hey!" Phoenix said, before looking confused. "Uh, thanks?" ( _I don't know if I should be insulted or flattered…)_ he thought while the three girls laughed, and Apollo smiled, leaning against his desk.

"Do you have any siblings?" Athena asked brightly.

"Oh. Uh, I have an older brother, Edym," she said.

That's when it happened. Apollo's bracelet tightened until it was almost cutting off his circulation. He saw not one tell, but three.

The fingers of Aurora's right hand tightened slightly on the zipper of her shoulder bag.

The corner of Phoenix's left eye twitched slightly.

Trucy's eyes flickered from side to side.

He grabbed his wrist, almost in pain, but no one noticed.

"Edym is so sweet and kind. He seems like a lazy bum, but he's actually fiercely protective," Aurora said with a smile. Phoenix suddenly stood, finally noticing the way Apollo held his arm.

"Hey, I'm starting to get hungry. Trucy, why don't you show Aurora the way to Eldoon's and get something for the five of us, while I finish up some paperwork?" he said, handing his daughter his wallet.

"Sure!" Trucy said, jumping up excitedly. She took the offered piece of leather and Aurora's arm, dragging her out. Before either of his understudies could say a word, Phoenix disappeared into his office.

Athena suddenly sniffled, while Apollo pulled his now loose bracelet off to massage his aching wrist.

"I wonder what happened?" Athena said softly.

"I don't know, but whatever it was, all three of them tensed up," Apollo said, sitting next to her and crossing an arm across his chest. He pressed a finger to his forehead thoughtfully.

"You mean you noticed it too?" Athena asked. Apollo nodded.

"Their tells, yeah. You?" he asked.

"A deep sadness. And anger, from Aurora. Mr. Wright and Trucy were just sad…"

"I wonder what happened? It probably has to do with this Edym…" Apollo said.

"Probably." Athena suddenly jumped up. "Well, I don't like it! Apollo, whatever's bothering the Wrights needs to be put to an end as soon as possible. I say you and I take care of it ourselves." She crossed her arms and looked at Apollo.

"I don't know, Athena. This seems like imposing on some kind of family business," Apollo said. Athena huffed.

"You and Trucy are blood related! Like it or not, Polly, the Wrights are your family too," she pointed out. Apollo sighed. "And, everyone here in the Wright Anything Agency _is_ my family," she added, sitting next to him again. "Mr. Wright's like my lame dad who makes lame dad jokes and tries to be all cool… but isn't. Trucy's like the adorable little sister I've never had, and I'm sure Aurora will become that too, and you're like the annoying, loud, older brother I never had!"

"Gee, thanks," Apollo huffed.

"Besides, if we work together, we can figure this out, right? I mean, together, we brought down the Phantom and saved Simon, so… let's help the Wrights."

"You know," a voice suddenly said from behind as two blue, clad arms draped themselves over the younger lawyers. "For someone with such sensitive hearing, you talk really loudly. Not as loud as Apollo, but still loud enough for me to hear in my office."

Both jumped, and Athena looked up with a sheepish grin.

"Hey, Boss! How goes that paperwork?" she asked. Phoenix shook his head, standing straight.

"Look, I'm flattered. Really. Especially hearing that you consider us family. Even if I'm the lame dad with the lame jokes." Phoenix quirked an eyebrow at her, and she turned bright red.

" _Busted!_ " Widget chirped.

"But… this isn't something you guys should meddle in. Really. It's… complicated. And if Aurora isn't ready to share with you what happened, then it's not mine or Trucy's place either. Okay?" Phoenix said.

Apollo nodded. "Alright, Mr. Wright. We won't pry. Right, Athena?"

"But-!" she cut off when Apollo gently elbowed her. "Alright," she sighed.

"Thank you. Now, don't you two have a case to prepare? Blackquill's not going to go easy on you."

"Right!" Apollo said, standing and walking over to his desk. Dejectedly, Athena followed. Phoenix shook his head and glanced over at Aurora's desk, where he laptop was still open and on.

The background was a picture of Aurora when she was younger, about eleven, getting a piggyback ride from a guy who was about nineteen. He was tall and lanky, with the same sandy-blond hair as Aurora's, though his was even more spiky then hers. His teal eye were bright with happiness that reflected in his carefree grin.

 _(Edym…)_

…

 **A/N:** Backhanded comments are so much fun!


	3. The Boy With the Blindfold

**A/N:** And here comes the Kingdom Hearts portion!

…

Chapter Three: The Boy With The Blindfold

This was a strange world. It was much different from the other worlds he had ever visited. The buildings soared overhead, and numerous cars raced by. Not too many people took notice of the young boy who easily weaved through them, wearing a black trench coat. His silver-purplish hair fell in his face, nearly hiding his blindfold from view.

The hustle and bustle was too much for the boy, however, and he ducked into a Gordy Park for a moment of peace.

"I don't think I'll find anything here that will help him," he said softly to himself. Despite his mostly calm exterior, his hand still curled into a fist.

Suddenly, something caught his attention. His head snapped up, and he turned towards a couple.

The man was… questionable at best. He wore a black dress shirt and white tie under an orange jacket that was covered in pink hearts with arrows. His brown hair stood straight, nearly knocking the dark pink barrette off of his head, and a small tuft of hair on his chin completed his look.

In his arms was a beautiful woman with long, wavy blond hair, and a slim figure. She had a frown, though, as the two seemed to be arguing, despite his pleading and holding her.

That's not what caught the boy's attention. Instead, the twitching, moving shadow behind the woman did.

"No!" he growled, rushing forward.

He wasn't fast enough.

The shadow suddenly lunged forward, landed on the woman's back, then vanished, all in the blink of an eye. The woman gasped in surprise, before suddenly turning into black smoke, vanishing.

"Whoa!" the man gasped, jumping back, his eyes wide. People started screaming, and someone jumped on the man, who looked like he was in shock. The boy cursed and chased after the shadow, only for its presence to quickly vanish.

With a deep sigh, he turned back to the center of the park, only to spot the man from earlier in handcuffs and being restrained by a bigger man, in a green trench coat.

Curiously, he moved closer.

"Larry Butz, you are under arrest for the murder of your girlfriend, Lucy Hart," the bigger man said.

"But I didn't do it! Oh god, my life is over!" the man, Larry, wailed. The boy ran closer.

"Excuse me," he said. The big man looked over.

"Yeah, kid?" he asked.

"Lucy Hart. Was that the woman who… turned into smoke?" he asked.

"OH MY SWEET, PRECIOUS LUCY!" Larry sobbed.

"Unfortunately, kid. Wait, did you witness it?" he asked, his breathing picking up in excitement.

"Er, yeah. I… something jump on her back, then run into the woods. I chased it, but it got away," the boy explained.

"Oh… really?"

"You mean you know I didn't do it? Can you go get my buddy, Nick to defend me?" Larry pleaded, leaning towards the boy.

"Ah… excuse me?" the boy asked, crossing his arms and tipping his head slightly to the side, confused.

"He means in court. He has a friend who's a Defense Attorney at the Wright Anything Agency. And, I guess, if anything, you'd be the defense's witness, even if we have video footage of the crime…" the man trailed off, before shrugging, passing the sobbing Larry to another officer to put in a car. "I'll contact his attorney. Let me get your name and address, in case the attorney needs to talk to you," he said.

"Riku. I was just passing through," the boy said, crossing his arms.

"Okay, Riku. I'm Detective Gumshoe. You got a last name, pal?"

"Hikaru," he said. Gumshoe nodded, writing that down.

"Alright! Hm… well, I guess the police can set you up in the Gatewater Hotel while we deal with this case. How's that sound?"

"Alright? I guess?" Riku replied. ( _At least this will give me time to take out that heartless, if anything. I… can't let that guy take the blame for something the heartless did. It's not right.)_

Riku looked away slightly, putting a hand over his heart in surprise.

( _Heh. Wow. Even asleep, it seems like you're rubbing off on me, Sora…)_

…

 **A/N:** Riku! Gumshoe! LARRY! Larry really needs to stop dating. He has Maggey's luck when it comes to dating…


	4. Investigations

**A/N:** I'm back guys! With another chapter! Don't worry, Phoenix and Aurora will be meeting Riku soon.

Also, before you guys get too more invested in this story, I thought I should warn you that it's RikuxOC (aka: Aurora). If that bothers you… well… sorry. This idea actually sparked from the idea of making an OC love interest for Riku in the first place, then I decided to add Ace Attorney into it… and it went from there.

Well, let me reply to a guest reviews!

 **Melody:** Thanks! There really aren't that many AAxKH crossovers, are there? I'm glad you're enjoying it. And thank you. It's all better now though. Since I cut ties with her, I've been pretty stress free. I hope you enjoy the rest!

 **Gamergirl** : It seems a lot of people weren't expecting this one! I'm glad you like it though, and that you like Aurora. You might be right about who her brother is. I'm surprised you're the first to mention him. Riku has Phoenix's luck, haha. Here's the next chapter!

Honestly guys, this story has had more reviews and traffic then what I was expecting. Thank you!

Alright, enough talking. Here we go!

…

Chapter Four: Investigations

The five members of the Wright Anything Agency sat around the coffee table, enjoying their Eldoon Noodles. Phoenix sat on the couch next to Athena, while Apollo sat on the floor with the two younger girls.

"So, how's the case coming?" Phoenix asked, glancing over at Apollo and Athena.

"Great!" Athena said brightly.

" _Disasteriffic!"_ Widget chirped.

"Widget!" Athena gasped, putting her hands over the necklace, while Trucy and Aurora giggled. Apollo sighed, his bangs drooping forward.

"It's true though. We didn't find anything else during our investigation," the man in red said. Phoenix leaned back thoughtfully.

"Well, it sometimes happens like that. But, you know the truth will be revealed in court, if anything," Phoenix said. Athena immediately perked back up.

"Right!" she said brightly. Aurora smiled warmly.

 _(The truth will be revealed in court…)_ she thought to herself, before taking a bite of her ramen.

Just then the door to the reception area banged open, causing all five to jump.

"Hey, pal! You here?" a booming voice called. Phoenix's eyebrows drew together as he placed his food aside.

"Gumshoe?" he muttered, standing and opening the door that separated the office from the reception area. "Gumshoe, what's up?" he asked, leaning against the door frame, crossing his arms.

"Ah, Mr. Wright!" the detective said, coming over. "Someone's just requested your services!" he said.

"'Someone'?" Phoenix asked, stepping back to let him in. Gumshoe nodded.

"Yeah. Odd case, really. Something right up your alley."

"Does that mean he'll have to cross examine an animal again?" Trucy asked innocently, much to the amusement of the others around the table. Phoenix shook his head, and Gumshoe looked over.

"Oh, er, sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt your dinner," he said, before looking at the others closer. "I feel like there's one extra…"

"There is," Phoenix said with a smile, motioning to the new girl. "This is Aurora Wright. She's my cousin."

Aurora stood with a smile, shaking the bigger man's hand. "Hi. It's really nice to meet you," she said.

"Ah! Hello! I'm Detective Gumshoe," he said, giving her hand an enthusiastic shake. Aurora giggled at that, sitting again once he let go of her hand.

"So, Detective, who's requesting me?" Phoenix asked.

"Oh! It's that weirdo friend of yours and Mr. Edgeworths'. Err… Right. Harry Butz!"

Four matching snorts could be heard from the table, and noodles nearly went flying.

"What'd Uncle Larry do this time?" Trucy asked brightly.

"His last name isn't really Butz, is it?" Athena asked.

"It is…" Phoenix muttered.

"Well, he's been arrested for murder," Gumshoe said.

"Let me guess… Lucy?" Phoenix asked softly, knowing how Larry's girlfriend's had a habit of either dying or killing… usually with Larry being the one to be accused.

"Yeah. It's sad. She seemed like such a nice girl," Gumshoe sighed. "But that's not the weirdest part, pal!"

"Then… what is?" Aurora asked.

"It's… the how. She just went up in smoke!" Gumshoe said.

"What?" five gasps met him.

"Yeah. It was even caught on camera…"

"Oh, great," Phoenix muttered. "Well, I might as well go talk to him." He turned to the table. "Aurora, you'll accompany me for the experience. How does that sound?" he said. The girl immediately jumped up, slinging her shoulder bag over her shoulder.

"Great! Are we going now?" she asked.

"Yep. Every minute counts during the first day of investigation," he said. Aurora nodded, waving to the others as she followed her cousin out.

…

Miles Edgeworth rested back in his chair, watching out the window as he enjoyed a nice, relaxing cup of tea. It was just after dinner time, and the sun was just starting to go down, when there was a knock on his door.

"Come in," he called, swiveling his chair to face his desk again. The door opened, and in bounced his assistant/legal aid, a young woman in her mid-twenties, her long black hair tied up in a high ponytail. She wore a pink and blue skirt suit, a dark blue scarf with a gold, three legged raven pin, and black ballet-flats.

"Hey, Mr. Edgeworth!" she said brightly, holding a file under her arm.

"Kay," Edgeworth said with a smile, setting his tea down. "What's that?"

"Ah, a new case. I… thought you might want to look at this one yourself," she said, opening the file.

"As chief prosecutor, it'd be unusual for me to do that," Edgeworth reminded her.

"Yeah, but hear me out. It happened in Gordy Park, just half an hour ago. A woman was murdered in broad daylight, though there are only two witnesses. Three if you count the defendant. One caught it on camera, and claims it was the defendant, but the other witness claims something else happened," Kay said, reading Gumshoe's notes.

"And the cause of death?" Edgeworth asked, interested despite himself. Kay's eyebrows knitted together.

"That's the… complicated part," she said, before looking up at Edgeworth. "The woman just… turned into black smoke while in the defendant's arms."

"What!?" Edgeworth gasped, reeling back in shock.

"Yeah. Oh, and apparently the defendant requested Phoenix Wright to defend him in court."

"Hm. Well, you were right, Kay," Edgeworth said, standing and finishing off his tea. "This case does require my attention. I will take it."

"Not without your trusty assistant!" Kay said brightly, a grin on her face as she adjusted the hems of her sleeves where they rested on her wrists. "You already left me out of that last case you took."

"That one was a lot more dangerous. And very impromptu. And entire space station was being held hostage," Edgeworth reminded her as he shrugged into his coat.

"So? Like I haven't faced danger before," Kay scoffed, padding after her boss and old friend. Edgeworth just shook his head, deciding not to reply.

…

The first stop Phoenix and Aurora made was to the detention center. As they entered, Aurora shivered slightly and moved closer to Phoenix. He glanced over at her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay. Just don't focus on it, okay?" he muttered. Aurora glanced up and nodded, rubbing her arms slightly. Phoenix quickly signed them in and lead the way to the visitor's room.

Moments later, Larry sat across the glass from them.

"NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK!" he wailed, pressing against the glass. "Lucy! My dear, sweet Lucy!" he sobbed.

"Larry, please try to calm down," Phoenix said, making a placating gesture with his hands.

"Calm… down?" Larry muttered. "Calm down!? How am I supposed to calm down!?" he wailed once more.

 _(How are we supposed to help him if he won't listen?)_ Aurora wondered. Phoenix sighed, letting the other man get his feelings out.

Once Larry was sitting in his chair, and a little calmer, he finally noticed Aurora.

"Who's this? And why do you always seem to be hanging around with young girls? Hm, Nick?" Larry demanded. Phoenix gave him a deadpanned look.

"This is my little cousin, Larry. Her name is Aurora," he said while Aurora giggled.

"Oh…"

"ANYways… So, why don't you tell me what happened?" Phoenix tried. Larry sniffled.

"Well, me and my Lovely Bunny-" Aurora only just managed to turn her snort into a cough at the nickname, "-were taking a romantic walk in the park. I hugged her… then… P-p-poof…" As he said the last word, his eyes welled with tears again.

"'Poof'?" Phoenix asked.

"She just turned into smoke, man! Right in my arms! One minute, she's there, saying sweet nothings in my ear, then she's gone, and everyone's screaming! And someone tackled me!" Larry explained, whimpering slightly. Phoenix sighed softly.

"So… you saw nothing?" he asked.

"Nothing…" Larry repeated miserably. He then looked thoughtful. "Although there was someone who stood up for me. He was wearing a long black coat, and had silver hair…"

"Really?" Phoenix asked.

"Yeah. He said he saw something and chased after it, but it got away. Detective Suadeshoe was talking to him…" Larry explained. Aurora giggled at the name.

 _(I almost wonder if they mess up the other's name on purpose…)_ she thought to herself in amusement.

"Alright. I'll talk to the Detective. Just… hang in there, Larry. I'll get you out of this in no time," Phoenix said with a smile. Larry smiled back, giving a thumbs up.

"Alright, Nick. I'm counting on you!" he said. Phoenix smiled and nodded, leading Aurora out. As they left the room, Aurora looked back at the young man with a smile, giving a wave. As the left the building, the chill that had come over Aurora vanished, and she dropped her hands from her arms.

"Good job," Phoenix said as they waited at a nearby bus stop.

"Hm?" she asked.

"You knew to smile at him, despite the oddity of the case. There are two, very important rules to being a lawyer that you're not going to learn at Themis," he explained. Aurora smiled.

"I know. I remember you saying your old mentor taught you." She closed her eyes. "Always believe in your client. And the darkest times are when lawyers wear their biggest smiles."

Phoenix glanced at her in surprise.

"I'm… honestly surprised you remembered that," he said softly.

"Oh?"

"Well, five years is a long time," Phoenix said, before looking at her. "And… you didn't really seem to be… aware at… that time."

Aurora looked down, fiddling with the zipper of her shoulder bag. "Nick… It was a hard time for me, yeah… but the sheer fact that you and Trucy came across the country to help meant a lot. To all of us. Especially with the financial issues you were having." She looked up at Phoenix, her eyes swimming slightly with tears. "I remember wanting to punch you, though, since you kept smiling." She closed her eyes. "Until you said those words. 'The darkest times are when lawyers wear their biggest smiles.'" She looked back up at her cousin. "It wasn't until later that Trucy told me that you would always believe in your clients. The stories you told her about your time as a lawyer really made an impression on her. And, when she told me, they made an impression on me, too."

"I always thought Trucy was keeping you up all hours of the night while we were there," Phoenix said with a smile. Aurora nodded.

"Yeah. But… rooming with her was just what I needed. She really got me through that time. And, it was talking to her about you… that I realized what I needed to do if I wanted to find the truth."

"Become a lawyer?" Phoenix asked. Aurora nodded, wiping the tears away. Determination took their place.

"Right. That's why I studied my butt off. I would have started Themis when I started high school, but…"

"You needed a scholarship."

"And… mom and dad wanted me to wait until you got back on your feet," Aurora added.

"Huh?" Phoenix asked in surprise, looking down at her.

"Well, you weren't doing too good without your badge. And you were… different. The whole family knew it'd be a matter of time before you regained it, but everyone thought it would be best for me to wait until then before I stayed with you," Aurora explained as the bus pulled up.

"Heh, right. That… makes a lot of sense." Phoenix rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "I'm glad I didn't wait until much longer then…"

"Same here!" Aurora said brightly, before climbing onto the bus. "Now, let's go. To the police station!"

"Right," Phoenix said, following after her.

…

Thankfully, Gumshoe had included information about both witnesses in the file that Kay had tucked into her bag. All the first one had to offer was the cellphone footage of the attack. Miles and Kay had watched it a few times, analyzing it. The person had been directly behind Larry. Apparently, Lucy had been yelling at Larry about his children's' books, while Larry held her in his arms, pleading with her not to leave him. Then, Larry lurched back as the woman suddenly turned to smoke in his arms.

It was then that Edgeworth realized who the defendant of the case was, which resulted in a " _NGHOOO!_ "

Much to Kay's amusement.

Now they were on their way to speak to the second witness, who was staying at the Gatewater Hotel.

"Here's the room," Kay said as they stopped in front of a door. Edgeworth nodded and knocked briskly.

"Just a moment!" a voice called. A few minutes later, a young man opened the door.

The first impression Edgeworth got of the young man was that he was… eccentric. He had long silver hair that nearly hid a blindfold, and was wearing a long, black trench coat.

"Would you happen to be Riku Hikaru?" Edgeworth asked, crossing his arms.

"Yes?" Riku answered.

"Right. I'm Prosecutor Edgeworth, and this is my legal assistant, Mr. Faraday. We'd like to talk to you about the incident in the park a few hours ago," he said. Riku nodded, stepping back to let them in.

"What do you want to know?" Riku asked.

…

Riku relaxed once the prosecutor and his assistant left. He had managed to convince them that he couldn't tell what had attacked the woman, though that wasn't for the lack of the prosecutor trying. He rested back on the bed with a deep sigh.

…

Gumshoe told Phoenix and Aurora where to find their witness, and they found themselves headed back to the stop closest to the Wright Anything Agency. Aurora was leaning against her cousin on the bus ride.

"I can't believe we just went in a huge circle," Phoenix grumbled, causing Aurora to giggle.

"Does this happen often to you?" she asked innocently, only to get a frown from her cousin. She giggled even more.

"I'll take that as a yes. You know, it probably wouldn't be that bad if you drove…"

"No, not at all. Then I'd just have to pay for insurance, upkeep, gas," Phoenix listed off, causing Aurora to playfully shove him.

"Okay, _okay._ I get it," she said.

"Here we are," Phoenix said, getting off. Aurora followed after him, and they soon found themselves in front of a door.

"Well, this is his room," Aurora said, before suddenly shivering. Phoenix looked down at her.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Aurora muttered, rubbing her arms. Phoenix nodded and knocked.

"Just a minute," a voice called from the other side, sounding a little exasperated. A moment later, Riku opened the door. "Yes?"

"Hi. I'm Phoenix Wright, Defense Attorney. This is my cousin, Aurora. Can we ask you a few questions about what happened in the park?" Phoenix asked, flashing his badge. The young man nodded, opening the door more to let them in. Phoenix smiled and stepped in, Aurora right behind.

As Riku went to shut the door, his shoulder brushed Aurora's.

 _A large field. The night sky arched overhead. Before them laid a path, leading directly towards the rising sun. It was chilly, but a warm breeze brushed over their skin._

 _Suddenly, the sky turned bright and sunny. The sun shone hotly overhead, warming them up. A small bush stood to the side of the path, casting a tiny, slightly cool shadow._

Riku jerked away from the girl in shock.

"What was _that!?_ " he demanded. Aurora stumbled back, just as surprised. Phoenix caught her shoulders.

"Aurora?" he asked.

"Th-that's… never happened before," she breathed. Riku had his head turned towards her, though it was hard to tell if he was staring due to the blindfold. "I've… never seen one of those with my eyes _open_."

"What are you talking about?" Riku asked, his voice a little harsher then he meant due to his surprise.

"Aurora can sense the balance of light and dark in someone's heart. And… when she closes her eyes, she sees something symbolizing that balance," Phoenix explained.

"But this time was different, Nick," Aurora insisted. "I didn't shut my eyes at all. And I didn't just see him, but…" she trailed off, not sure how to explain it.

Riku sniffed once before nodding. "It must have shown your own heart. That sunny landscape with the bush," he said. "I guess that means there's very little darkness in your heart at all."

"Wait, you saw it too?" Phoenix asked.

"Yeah," Riku said.

"That's the other way it was different," Aurora mumbled. The three stayed quiet for a moment. Aurora was thinking over what she saw of Riku's heart.

 _(His heart is cold, after all, but it seems as though he's… moving towards the light, if that path in that vision means anything.)_

Meanwhile, Riku seemed lost in his own thoughts. Phoenix finally cleared his throat.

"We came here about Larry?" Phoenix said.

"Right," Riku replied, turning his head towards the attorney. Phoenix studied the blindfold for a moment.

"So, er… did you see what happened? I mean, with the blindfold…"

"I wear it because I'm blind," Riku said. Phoenix suddenly stiffened, his eyes going wide as they flickered to all around Riku.

"R-right," he muttered after a moment.

"So, no, I didn't see what happened, exactly. But I know for a fact that it wasn't that Butz guy who did that to his girlfriend. And I chased… it," Riku continued.

"Then… what is it?" Phoenix asked.

"I'm… not sure," Riku said. Phoenix sighed softly again, his eyes flickering around the young man once more.

"Do you know how, then?" Aurora asked. Riku turned his head towards her, before nodding.

"It was her heart. There are two different kinds. The biological, and the one you can sense, Aurora," he explained.

"That makes sense," Phoenix said thoughtfully.

"Well, when someone loses the second kind of heart, their body dissolves. Turns into smoke," Riku said. Phoenix studied him for a moment, before nodding slightly.

"Alright then. There's no way Larry could have done something like that," he said. Riku nodded.

"Exactly. Although… I didn't tell the prosecutor this when he came and questioned me. He didn't seem like the type to believe in all of this."

"Then why tell us?" Aurora asked curiously. Riku turned to face her.

"Because of you," he said simply.

"Me?"

"Yeah. I… that ability of yours is interesting. And directly relates to the heart," he said. Aurora smiled slightly, before nodding.

"Alright," she said. Phoenix looked thoughtfully at Riku.

"If you don't mind me asking… who's the prosecution?"

"Hm… he said his name is…. Edgeworth," Riku said after a moment. Phoenix quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh. Great. Mr. Skeptic himself…" he said. "Do you mind coming to the crime scene with us? To show us where you chased this… whatever it was to?"

Riku smirked slightly with a shrug. "Sure," he said.

…

"Ah, Gordy Park," Phoenix sighed as the trio walked through the gate. "I have no good memories of this place."

"Do you have any good memories of either park in the area?" Aurora asked. Phoenix thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"No," he said, causing both Aurora and Riku to laugh. Phoenix glanced back at the young man with them, before looking forward.

"Hey, Nick?" Aurora started. Phoenix looked at her.

"Yeah?"

"How about you check out the crime scene, while Riku shows me where he chased the thing to? It's starting to get late, and if we're to find anything before court tomorrow…" she trailed off. Phoenix hesitated.

"I'll look after her," Riku said.

"And I'll take pictures and notes of everything," Aurora added. Finally, Phoenix sighed.

"Well… alright," he said. Aurora smiled warmly at him, before turning to Riku.

"Lead the way!" she said brightly. Riku nodded, power-walking towards the trees. Aurora jogged after.

"Are you sure about this?" Riku asked after a little bit. "We're moving away from everyone else. And you don't know me," he said.

"I trust you," Aurora said softly. Riku turned his head slightly towards her. "I can sense your heart. I've _seen_ it. It's… it's dark." Riku looked down, a small frown tugging at the corners of his lips. "But… you're moving towards light. Besides, light and dark don't represent good and evil, right?" she asked, looking up at him.

"No, not necessarily," Riku replied.

"Exactly," she said, moving forward. Riku watched after her for a moment, before smiling.

"You're strange, you know that?" he said in a teasing tone.

"Hey!" she said, before they both started laughing. After a moment, Riku shook his head.

"So, this helping your cousin thing. Is there a reason?" he asked.

"I want to become a defense attorney," Aurora said, determination lacing her voice.

"Oh? Why?" Riku asked. Aurora glanced at him.

"Because. There's something I need to find the truth about. Something that happened five years ago. And, as my cousin always says… the truth always comes out in court," she explained. Riku nodded, respecting that. Finally, he stopped.

"Well, this is the spot I lost the thing at," he said. Aurora looked around with a slight nod.

"Okay. Let's see what we can find," she said.

…

Phoenix spotted Edgeworth as soon as he got close. It helped that Kay, his assistant, was jumping around, taking pictures.

"Edgeworth!" he called, walking over.

"Ah. Wright. I was wondering when you'd get here," Edgeworth said, turning to his oldest friend.

"Yeah… I was talking to Larry first, then the witness, Riku," Phoenix explained.

"Hmm… that man," Edgeworth growled.

"Riku?" Phoenix asked, bewildered.

"No, of course not. Larry. I know when something smells, it's usually the Butz, but… this stinks even worse than him," Edgeworth grumbled. Phoenix chuckled slightly.

"Yeah, I know. I mean, Larry's normally not that able, but this goes _way_ beyond him."

"Exactly. I highly doubt this will go to court," Edgeworth said, crossing his arms.

"Well, that's good to hear. Mind sharing info?" Phoenix asked hopefully. Edgeworth quirked an eyebrow at the man.

"You should know I'm not that loose-lipped after all these years, Wright," he said. Phoenix shrugged.

"Worth a shot," he countered, before looking around the crime scene. The only evidence in sight was Larry's and Lucy's footprints. With a case like this, they couldn't even do a body outline.

"Nick!" Aurora called, jogging over to her cousin. Riku trailed behind her.

"Ah, Aurora. Riku. Did you guys find anything?" Phoenix asked. Aurora shrugged.

"Not really. I took pictures, as promised, though," she said, passing her phone over to her cousin. Unlike his ancient flip phone, Aurora owned a smart phone that took nice pictures. Phoenix swiped through them, before nodding.

"You're right. There's… nothing," he agreed.

"We didn't find anything either," Kay suddenly said, causing the two men to jump.

"Kay!" Edgeworth said in exasperation, only to get a shrug from her.

"What, it's the truth!" she replied. "We couldn't even find anything with Little Thief."

"So, let's get this straight. No body. No murder weapon. No forensic evidence. We can't even verify the cause of death," Phoenix said, ticking each thing off on his fingers. "The only thing we have is someone catching it happening on camera from a bad angle, and a witness who claims something else did it."

"I get it," Edgeworth sighed, causing Phoenix and Aurora to grin.

Suddenly, Kay noticed the other girl, and bounced forward.

"Hi! I'm Kay," she said, holding her hand out to shake. "I'm Mr. Edgeworth's assistant."

"Hi. I'm Aurora. Nick's cousin and intern," Aurora said, shaking the girl's hand. She was the most energetic person she's met yet, and that was saying something when compared to Trucy and Athena.

"Your cousin?" Edgeworth asked, looking over at Phoenix, who nodded.

"Yeah," he said, wrapping an arm around the girl and drawing her forward slightly. "She's attending Themis, in the Lawyer track," he explained. Edgeworth nodded, before doing a sweeping bow.

"It's very nice to meet you, Ms. Wright," he said. Aurora smiled at that.

"Er, likewise, Mr. Edgeworth."

"Is my help needed anymore?" Riku suddenly asked, gaining the attention of the other four.

"No, thank you," Edgeworth said, turning to the young man. "This isn't going to go to court. You are welcome to stay in the hotel for as long as you like, however," he said. Riku hesitated before nodding.

"Sure. Thanks," he said, before heading off. Aurora watched after him in interest.

…

Riku thought over everything that's happened since he came to this world while he walked back to the Gatewater Hotel. There was a heartless presence here, though it was weak.

 _(There's nothing here that'll help me and Sora though… unless…)_ He suddenly stopped in his tracks, thinking about Aurora. _(That ability of her's. It's unique. And… I think the reason we both saw each other hearts… was because our hearts connected. But how? We only just met. And I don't connect to people like Sora does…Especially not as fast…)_ He shook his head. _(I guess, if I want answers, I should stay here a little longer. Who knows, maybe she will be able to help us…)_ he thought as he went to take a step forward, only to run into someone who was coming towards him.

"Oh, sorry," he said, looking down at the woman he bumped into. She wore a yellow, stylized skirt suit and had long, red hair. Her eyes widened, and the necklace around her neck grew dark blue, almost black. Riku offered her a hand to help her up.

"Uh, thanks," she said, accepting his help. Riku gave her a small smile.

"It's the least I can do, after knocking you down," he replied, getting her on her feet before continuing on his way.

…

Apollo watched after the young man in black before looking at his partner. She was also looking after him, and, to Apollo's surprise, she had a tear running down her face.

"Whoa, hey, you okay?" he asked, also taking in the almost black appearance of Widget.

"Apollo… that guy's heart. There's so much discord. It's… _screaming_ with sadness and… regret," Athena said, putting a hand over Widget.

…

 **A/N:** Finally done!

More hints about Aurora's past, yay!

Lots and lots of threads to weave together in this chapter. What do you think?

Also, I present to you, Aurora's ability! As Phoenix explained, she senses the balance of light and darkness in people's hearts. She senses it as temperature. Light is hot, dark is cold. And, when she closes her eyes, she sees a vision representing the balance. Riku and her own are the first where she saw actual _paths_. But that's what she'll see for all of those aware of the paths they walk.

And finally, after a lot of thought, I realized that Miles would probably take this case himself, due to the severity (I mean, the woman went up in smoke!), and it being Larry (not that he knew that at first, but destiny has a funny way of working. And a sense of humor). Long story short, you got some Edgeworth and Kay working together (just like in _Investigations_ ), as well as Phoenix and Aurora.


	5. Eyes Can't Lie

**A/N:** Okay guys. I'm working under the assumption that Riku can see through that blindfold. After all, he fought excellently while wearing it, and looked directly at Roxas, sooooo….

This chapter is mostly fluffy stuff.

Well, here it is!

…

Chapter Five: Eyes Can't Lie

Aurora was exhausted. She knew Themis Legal Academy was for the brightest, smartest, most talented future law officials around, but she didn't expect it to be so… grueling and competitive. Not just between two tracks, like the Lawyer and Prosecution tracks, but also inside the tracks themselves. Juniper Woods, along with her friend Hugh and Robin, were very helpful, but they were seniors, and she was a junior, meaning they weren't in the same classes.

All in all, her first day left her exhausted. Trying to occupy her mind while on the bus, she decided to play her handheld game. Suddenly, someone sat next to her. A chill rolled through her, coupled by a slight warmth. It was so overwhelmingly familiar that she looked up, tugging an earbud from her ear.

"Riku?" she asked. He tipped his head slightly towards her and smiled.

"Hey, Aurora. Just getting home from school?" he asked.

"Mhm. I was actually on my way to the Agency. You know that building right across from Gatewater?" Aurora asked. Riku nodded. "Well, that's the Wright Anything Agency."

"Oh. Uh, then you missed your stop," Riku said, turning his head as though he was glancing backwards.

"What!?" Aurora gasped, standing, just as the bus lurched to a stop. She lost her balance, nearly face planting into the seats in front of her. Riku reacted quickly, his arms shooting out and wrapping around her waist, pulling her back into her seat.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Y-yeah," Aurora mumbled.

"Good. Be more careful," he said. Aurora nodded slightly. A moment later, Riku realized his arms were still around her waist, and he quickly let go. Aurora blushed, pushing a strand of hair out of her face, before suddenly getting an idea.

"Hey, if Nick doesn't need me at the office, we should totally hang out," she said. Riku jolted slightly in surprise.

"Oh, um. Sure?" he said.

"Great! Let me call him," Aurora said with a grin, pulling out her phone and doing so. She put the phone to her ear, and after the second ring, it was answered.

" _Phoenix Wright here. How can I help you?"_

"Hey Nick, it's Aurora," she said.

" _Oh, hey. Everything okay? I saw the bus go by… but no you."_

"Yeah, I missed my stop. But uh, I actually ran into Riku, and I was wondering, if there's no intern work for me around the office, if I could hang out with him for a few hours," Aurora asked. Phoenix hesitated a moment.

" _Yeah… that's fine_ ," he replied.

"Er, is there intern duties for me?" Aurora asked.

" _No. Have fun. After all, you should have some fun while you're here, you know?"_

"Oh, alright. Thanks, Nick. I'll see you later!"

" _Yep. Have fun,"_ he said, hanging up.

…

Phoenix slowly lowered the phone, biting his lip in worry.

"What's wrong, boss?" Athena asked, hearing the discord in his heart.

"I'm… worried about Aurora. She's hanging out with the witness from our last case. Riku," he said.

"And you're worried… why?" Athena asked.

"Well, he's hiding something. I mean… when he said he wore a blindfold because he was blind, I saw _ten_ Psych-locks appear. _Ten._ I've never seen more than five, so that…" he shook his head. Athena gasped.

"Did you say blindfold?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"Apollo and I ran into him too…" Athena said.

…

"So, what should we do?" Riku asked as he and Aurora watched out the window of the bus.

"Well, what were you going to do?" she asked. The boy shrugged.

"Nothing, really. Just explore," he said. Aurora nodded, thinking over everything in the city. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she reached up, yanking on the chord. The bus came to a halt in front of a bus stop, and she stood, checking she had both her book bag and shoulder bag, which she had placed her game into.

"Come on. Let's go to the Los Angeles Zoo!" she said brightly, leading Riku off the bus. The two walked over to the gate, paid, and entered.

"There's a lot of people here," Riku commented, keeping close to Aurora. She giggled.

"Well, it is a nice day out, in the afternoon," she said, looping her arm through his to make sure they didn't get separated in the crowd. Riku glanced down at their arms in surprise, before looking away, his cheeks darkening slightly. "Come on! Let's go see the big cats!" she said, pulling him along.

The two grew more comfortable around each other as they explored the zoo, talking about the different animals they saw. Riku even managed to forget they were arm in arm after an hour or so. Finally, though, his stomach growled, causing Aurora to giggle.

"Come on. Let's get cotton candy," she said, leading him towards the food area.

"'Cotton Candy?'" Riku asked.

"Yep! I mean, it's not really all that filling, but it's some of the best in the city," she said, stopping at a vendor.

"A large, please," she ordered. The vendor nodded, handing her a big cone of it.

"Five dollars, miss," he said. Before she could even reach for her wallet, Riku was already handing the man the money.

"Here, I got it," he said. Aurora smile.

"Oh, alright," she said. Riku smiled at her, and the two walked away, finding somewhere to sit.

"Here, take a bite," Aurora said, offering the candy.

"That seems like nothing but sugar…" Riku said.

"Great guess," Aurora replied, picking a piece off.

"I don't—mph!" he started, only for her to get the piece in his mouth. The wispy candy immediately melted on his tongue, and his eyes lit up behind the blindfold. "Wow, that is good," he said.

Aurora smiled, pulling another piece off and popping it into her own mouth. "I told you," she giggled. Riku chuckled as well, shaking his head and gently reaching forward, taking another piece. The two were quiet for a moment, until Riku glanced over at her.

"So, how was school, anyways?" he asked. Aurora shrugged.

"Hard. But… that's a good thing, if anything. It'll get me ready for the real, harsh world of law," she said. Riku nodded at that.

"Yeah. I went and watched a few trials. The lawyer always seems to be on the losing side," Riku stated.

"Not always, though the lawyers of the Wright Anything Agency do have that kind of luck…" Aurora mused. "But that's okay. If I have to fight with everything I've got… well, I'd like to do it helping those who need it, rather than attempting to condemn them," she said. Riku nodded in understanding at that. "But, Prosecutor or Attorney, or even Judge, the end goal is always the truth. Nothing more, nothing less."

"The truth…" Riku repeated softly, before smiling slightly.

"Yeah," Aurora said, her eyes sliding sideways to look at the young man next to her. "Speaking of which… I think I discovered another truth today," she said.

"You did?" Riku asked, his voice a little too fast, as his head snapped in her direction. She just smiled warmly at him.

"Yep." She stood, tossing the now empty paper cone. "Now, come on. Let's go to the bird house!" she said, taking his hand and pulling him along.

…

The next time they hung out, it was by her invitation, yet again. This time to one of Trucy's magic shows. Riku, who had never seen a magic show, was all for it.

Both Riku and Aurora were enthralled by it, though she could have sworn Riku's cheeks turned crimson when Trucy pulled out her Magic Panties trick. It was hard to be totally sure in the dim lighting.

Near the end of the act, though, Aurora noticed that Riku's hand was covering hers. She didn't even remember when that happened, but she did feel the butterflies in her stomach once she noticed.

…

The next time was the movies. Again, her suggestion. Riku hesitated only long enough to ask exactly what it meant to go to the movies— _(Geeze, has he been living under a rock or something?)_ –before agreeing to it. And, to Aurora's quickly dwindling surprise, he enjoyed every minute of it.

It was as they were leaving that she finally decided to ask about the truth she found at the zoo.

"Riku," she said. The young man, who had been leading her, stopped, turning to face her.

"Yes?"

"You're not actually blind, are you?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"It's just…" she moved closer to him. He stepped back, his back hitting the outside wall of the theater they had just left. "Everything we've done together so far… has required sight."

Riku's eyebrows quickly rose, his jaw dropping for a moment. Aurora hesitated only for a moment, before slowly reaching up to the blindfold with both hands.

"Which leads me to believe—" she cut off as Riku caught one of her hands. Just one, and very gently.

"That I am not blind," he finished, his voice soft. She nodded, the fingers of her free hand brushing gently against the fabric of the blindfold, where it covered his temple.

"And not only that, but that you can see through this thing."

"You're right," he said softly.

"May I? I'd… love to see your eyes," Aurora asked.

"Just one, and not for long," Riku said. She nodded, carefully slipping her fingers under the bottom of the blindfold and gently lifting. A bright, teal eye gazed back at her, full of warmth, but also, a deep sadness. She smiled slightly, lowering the blindfold once more.

"You have beautiful eyes," she said softly. Riku shook his head slightly, and, without even thinking, hugged her.

"Not as much as yours," he said softly. Aurora smiled slightly, wrapping her arms around him.

"Riku?"

"Hm?"

"Why… do you wear the blindfold?" she asked.

"It's… it's because my eyes can't lie," he said, giving her a squeeze.

…

 **A/N:** Yes. Those "hang out times" (dates) were all to see if he was blind or not, but also to actually spend time with each other. They're both drawn to each other, heh.


	6. It Begins

**A/N:** Okay, guys. Here's another chapter! We finally get to learn what happened five years ago! Yay!

Also, Riku is such… well, not a ladies man in this, because I'm going by how he reacted in _Dream Drop Distance_ when Shiki flirted with him.

…

Chapter Six: It Begins

Aurora sat her textbook down with a sigh, resting back in her chair where she sat at her desk at the Wright Anything Agency. She had been doing homework for three hours now, while the others did different things. Apollo was sitting at his desk, his feet propped up on it while he did "research" (as in reading Manga), Trucy was practicing her magic, Phoenix was in his personal office with the door propped open, and Athena…

Aurora's eyes travelled around the office. _(Where's Athena? I sense her, but…)_ she thought.

"Aurora!" the red-head suddenly popped up right next to Aurora's chair. Aurora jumped about a foot in the air with a cry. Her chair rolled out from under her, and she winded up on the floor.

"Athena!" she complained playfully, rubbing her backside. "I wasn't expecting that!"

"You've gotta expect the unexpected!" Athena said, punching her fist into her palm. She then grinned and held up a pack of cards. "I figured we could take a break. All of us," she said. Aurora smiled, standing up.

"Well, my eyes thank you," she said, bookmarking her spot and closing the book. Apollo smiled, setting his book aside and following the two girls over to the coffee table, Trucy with him.

"What should we play?" Athena asked.

"How about poker?" Phoenix suggested, suddenly coming over. Behind his back, Trucy and Apollo shook their heads, making arm motions and everything.

"Sure!" Athena said brightly, ignoring them. Aurora giggled slightly at that, as the siblings slumped forward. Phoenix took the deck from Athena, shuffling them quickly before dealing them.

"What are we playing for?" Aurora asked.

"How about cookies?" Phoenix suggested. Trucy hopped up.

"Okay!" she said brightly, darting into the kitchen area to get them. She returned and passed the cookies out, giving everyone an even amount.

Aurora quickly realized she was out of her league. She had learned of each of their abilities over the past two weeks. Trucy and Apollo could perceive tells of a liar. Athena could hear the emotions of one's heart. And, of course, Phoenix could see when someone hid a secret in their heart, though she already knew about that for years.

Her own ability was useless in a game of luck, emotions, and bluffing. But it was still a lot of fun to watch.

Especially since, somehow, Phoenix managed to stay undefeated. Despite Apollo and Trucy reading everyone— _(I feel like an open book!)_ Aurora thought in dismay as they beat her soundly once more—and Athena listening closely to everyone's emotions, Phoenix still managed to win.

So, Aurora did the most mature thing she could think of once she had lost all of her cookies.

She began to steal Phoenix's.

"Hey!" he yelped once he finally realized where his winnings were going. "Aurora!"

"What?" she said innocently. Trucy and Athena grinned at each other, before pillaging Apollo's meager pile, much to the young man's displeasure. The poker game dissolved into a battle for the cookies, which Phoenix quickly extracted himself due to his bad back (though he did take a few cookies with him).

Trucy and Aurora teamed up against the two older kids, and finally, it ended with Trucy sitting on Apollo's back, and Aurora and Athena sitting next to each other on the floor. Athena had easily overpowered Aurora, then offered a truce.

"Hey, Trucy! Polly's hair looks enough like bunny ears. Maybe you can pull him out of a hat or something?" Aurora giggled.

"That's a great idea!" Trucy laughed, reaching over to tug gently on his bangs.

"Hey!" Apollo said, before suddenly rolling sideway. Trucy fell off with a squeal, sending all of the younger members laughing again, while Phoenix chuckled.

Suddenly, there was a ring from the bell that sat on the reception desk. Phoenix smiled and stood, slipping out the door quickly so that a potential client wouldn't see how unprofessional they looked.

…

"Oh. Hi, Mr. Wright."

Phoenix turned to the voice, surprised to see Riku standing in front of him. He was the same as ever. Blindfold, cloak, and all.

"Hello, Riku. What brings you here?" he asked.

"Well… um… I just wanted to see if Aurora wanted to hang out. Well, that is, if she doesn't have any work or anything…" he said. Phoenix studied the young man in front of him before shaking his head slightly with a smile.

"Let me go see," he said, going back into the office, only to stop at the scene.

Aurora and Athena were sitting on the couch, applauding Trucy, who was standing next to a large box. Going by the Chords of Steel exercise he could hear from the box, he guessed Apollo was inside.

"Guys!" he called, barely containing his laughter.

"Mr. Wright! Help!" the box yelled.

"Oh, good Daddy! You're just in time to watch me cut Polly in half!" Trucy said brightly.

" _WHAT!?_ " the box yelled as it began to shake. Trucy doubled over in laughter.

"Joking! Joking, Polly. I'm just going to make you disappear."

The box grumbled in response.

"Do we have a new client?" Aurora asked, laughter clear in her voice. Phoenix shook his head.

"No. It's Riku," he said.

"Oh!" Aurora gasped, jumping to her feet in excitement. Athena looked up at her in shock, before grinning, Widget turning a pink color. "I'll go see what he wants," Aurora continued, darting out the door.

"Oooh! Someone has a crush!" Athena cooed.

"Wh-what!?" Phoenix gasped. " _OBJECTION!_ "

…

Aurora smiled at Riku as she slipped out the door.

"What brings you here?" she asked. Riku smiled.

"Just wanted to know if you wanted to hang out today. My pick, this time," he said. Aurora giggled.

"Sure. Let me go grab my coat," she said, stepping back into the office. Phoenix looked up at her, while the girls talking about something in hushed tones.

Apollo was still trying to escape the box.

 _(Poor Polly.)_ Aurora thought with a giggled, opening the top for him. She then grabbed her coat.

"I'm going to go hang out with Riku. I'll be back later," she said, walking out.

…

Riku's choice, as it turned out, was Gordy Park. More specifically, the carnival that was set up in Gordy Park.

"Oh, wow. You picked good," Aurora said with a grin. Riku chuckled at that.

"It looked fun, so I figured 'why not'?" he said, walking over to the ticket booth.

Once the two had their wristbands, they explored the fair, going on different rides. They even played a few games, with Riku winning a stuffed dog for her.

Finally, they got tired of the bright lights and loud music, and decided to take a break, walking down to the lake.

"Tonight was great," Riku said with a smile.

"It really was!" Aurora agreed, taking his hand. This had become so normal for the two of them, he didn't even seem to take notice, except for giving her fingers a gentle squeeze. She smiled warmly at that, resting her head on his shoulder. Riku glanced down at her thoughtfully for a moment.

"Aurora—" he began, before cutting off, his head snapping up. "Get behind me," he said, carefully pushing her to do so. Confused, Aurora stepped back, her boot sinking slightly in the mud at the edge of the lake.

"What—" Her question cut off in a cry of disbelief and fear as three shadows suddenly lunged out at them. Riku summoned a sword in a cloud of darkness and quickly cut them down, his head turning from side to side as he searched for more.

"Shadow Heartless…" he muttered, spotting more dark blotches on the ground moving towards them. Aurora wasn't sure if she should stay where she was at or move with him.

Suddenly, one got around Riku and lunged at her.

"No!" Riku yelled. Aurora dove out of the way, and the creature— _(Didn't he call them Heartless?) –_ went into the water. She quickly looked around, trying to make sure there wasn't more, when one jumped on her back, causing her to cry out.

"Get off of her!" Riku yelled as he took it out with a blast of what appeared to be magic. Not just Trucy's illusions, but real, physical magic. Riku was by her side again, the arm not holding his sword spread in front of her, as though to protect her. The creatures stared at them with glowing, yellow eyes, before surging forward.

"That's enough!" Riku yelled, diving forward. His sword made quick work of them, finally taking out the last one. He sighed, standing straight and de-summoning his sword.

Aurora darted forward and threw her arms around him, surprising the young man.

"R-Riku… what were those? Those… Heartless?" she asked, her voice shaking. Riku wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"Creatures of Darkness. They traverse the worlds, stealing hearts. Ah—" he gasped softly, realizing he said too much.

"The 'worlds'? Wait… stealing hearts… that's what happened to Larry's girlfriend, isn't it?"

"Yes. It was a Heartless. I… wasn't supposed to tell you about them, but since you saw them for yourself…" Riku trailed off.

"And those 'worlds'?" Aurora asked. She moved her hands from around him to rest on his chest, pressing her forehead against it and closing her eyes. Standing on that path to dawn was comforting.

"That… I really shouldn't have told you," Riku said with some amusement in his voice. "But there are many worlds out there. In fact, each star is actually the light of the heart of each world," he explained. Aurora opened her eyes, returning to reality, and looked up at the night sky. Not many stars were visible, due to light pollution from the city, but she knew there were hundreds – no, thousands – of stars above them.

"Wow…" she said softly, before looking at him. "You don't come from this world, do you?"

"No," Riku admitted. Aurora nodded, resting against him again. Riku, on the other hand, suddenly noticed something.

"Hey… your bag. Where is it?" he asked. Aurora stiffened up, yanking away from him and grasping at the empty space at her side where her bag normally hung.

"What!?" she cried, looking around frantically. Riku looked around as well, surprised by the intensity of her reaction.

"No, no, no, no! I can't lose that! Edym gave it to me!" she was muttering to herself. Riku finally spotted it in the mud and picked it up.

"Here," he said. Aurora was instantly at his side, unzipping it. To Riku's surprise, it was a game bag, designed to hold a Nintendo DS.

That's not the first thing she reached for, though. The first thing was an old picture, which she pulled out, and sighed.

"Not damaged," she muttered with a sigh of relief.

"And the game system?" Riku asked.

"Who cares?" Aurora said. "The most important thing in here… is this." She showed him the picture. It was the same one she had on her desktop.

"You were a cute kid," Riku said with a smile. She giggled softly.

"Thanks. That's my older brother… Edym."

"You seem sad," Riku stated. She looked up at him, before sighing.

"Five years ago… Edym disappeared. Without a trace. Some people still think he ran away, but… I _know_ that's not what happened. He left everything behind, and our parents weren't cruel. And he and I were… so _close_." Aurora held the picture close to her heart, closing her eyes. "The police never found anything. Not a single spec of evidence. Nick and Trucy came at the time to help search, and Trucy… she told me so much about Nick finding the truth as a lawyer, and fighting for the weak… I realized that's what I had to do. Become a lawyer, and find the truth."

"Wow…" Riku muttered, watching her. "I hope you succeed."

"Same here. I… really miss him, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. I can guess exactly how you're feeling," he said. Aurora looked at him, before placing a hand over his heart.

"You're missing someone too. Someone close to your heart," she guessed. Riku nodded, putting his hand over hers.

"Yeah."

"Well," Aurora smiled up at him, "I hope you find him or her too."

"I know I will," Riku replied, before shaking his head. "Common, let's get away from here," he said.

"Oh! I know! Let's go to the mall. After all, we've already rode all the rides here," she said. Riku smiled.

"Sure," he said.

…

As the two walked away from the lake, a dark portal opened. A figure in a cloak, much like Riku's, stepped out, though his hood was drawn, casting his face in shadow. As he stepped forward, his foot landed on a stuffed dog, half buried in the mud. He stepped off of it and stooped down, picking it up.

"Interesting…" he muttered.

…

The mall wasn't as crowded as it normally was in the evening, due to the fair in Gordy Park. Riku and Aurora walked around, hand in hand, as they looked at the different stores. Suddenly, Aurora spotted a male's clothing store, and she turned to look at the man next to her.

"Riku…" she said.

"Hm?"

"Why do you wear that cloak?" she asked. Riku looked at her for a moment, before looking down at himself.

"It's to protect my heart from darkness. There are… times where I have to delve into the darkness," he explained.

"Oh. Well… there isn't any darkness here, is there?" she asked. Riku's eyebrows drew together, and he sniffed a few times.

"No… there's not," he said with a smile, before unzipping the cloak. Aurora took one look at the clothes underneath, and started giggling.

"What?" Riku demanded.

"Your clothes seem a little… tight," she said between giggles. Riku blushed slightly.

"I… haven't had much time to go shopping. This is what I was wearing when I left my home world, a year ago…"

"Whoa. Okay, come on," she said, pulling him into the store. Bemused, he let himself be pulled. After a little bit of searching, Riku picked out a black, zipper up, sleeveless shirt with a white and yellow vest. Aurora found him a pair of baggy jeans with large pockets and a belt, while Riku found an arm band and sneakers. He stepped into the dressing room, shedding his old jacket and clothes, and trying the outfit on. When he stepped out, Aurora smiled.

"Better?" she asked.

"Much," he replied with a smile. "Those clothes were getting a little constricting…"

"Which isn't good when fighting, huh?" she asked. Riku just smiled at her. Meanwhile, her eyes were drawn to his suddenly bare arms.

 _(Whoa… Muscles much?)_ she thought with a blush.

"I'll buy it," he said. He changed back into his old outfit, bought the new clothes, then changed back into them in the bathroom. Rather than re-donning the cloak, he kept it over his arm.

 _(If only he didn't have to wear that blindfold…)_ Aurora thought a little sadly, wanting to see his beautiful eyes again. _(Ah well…)_

Just then, she spotted a photo booth. "Hey, let's get some pictures!" she said, pulling Riku in. He laughed, letting her. The first, they smiled, then made goofy faces for the next two. Finally, for the fourth one, at the last second, Aurora turned and kissed Riku on the cheek, causing the young man to blush.

"A-Aurora…" he stammered once they were standing next to the booth, waiting for the pictures to print.

"Hm?" she asked, looking up at him with bright eyes. Even her cheeks were a little flushed from her spontaneous action. He stared at her for a moment before smiling.

"Nothing," he said, wrapping an arm around her. She took the two strips as they printed, and handed him one.

"Here."

"Thanks," Riku said with a smile, looking at it. He carefully put it in his pocket, and continued walking with her, enjoying the rest of their night together.

…

Riku laid back in his bed in the hotel room. It wasn't as nice as the one the police had been paying for, but he had decided not to live off of them anymore and transferred to one of Gatewater's cheaper rooms. The cloak was draped over the desk chair, his new vest with it. He was studying the picture strip of him and Aurora together.

 _(What am I doing? I didn't stay here to… be with her. I want it though. She's so special… but I have a mission. I'm sorry, Sora. I got distracted. I thought her ability might help, but… I don't think it will. I… I should leave soon. Before we get too much closer…)_

Riku put the photo strip on the night stand and reached up, turning off his lamp and lying in bed.

 _(After I teach her how to defend herself…)_

…

Aurora sat on her bed in the room she shared with Trucy, telling her all about her day with Riku – minus the Heartless and other worlds – while she carefully cut the last picture off of the strip, the one where she was kissing Riku's cheek.

"It… was amazing, Trucy. I… I've never felt like this about someone," she said. Trucy grinned at her, bouncing off of her bed and onto Aurora's, just as she finished her cutting. "Whoa!" she gasped. Trucy laughed, wrapping her arms around her.

"I'm so happy for you!" she said. Aurora grinned.

"So am I," she said. She put the pictures down and picked up a star-shaped locket, opening it and sticking the cut out picture in. With a smile, she closed it and clipped the locket to the choker she was wearing.

"What's this one for?" Trucy asked, picking up a second star-shaped locket.

"Riku. I'm going to put this picture in there," she said, showing Trucy the first picture, of them smiling at the camera.

"Oh, that's so sweet!" Trucy said, watching as Aurora carefully cut it out. Aurora smiled.

"Yeah, I just hope Riku will like it," she said.

…

"I made something for you," Aurora said as she and Riku sat on the bus together, headed towards a destination of his choice.

"Oh?" Riku asked. He was wearing his cloak again, though he had it unzipped to show off his new outfit.

"Mhm," she said, pulling out the star locket. It was attached to a chain. He took it, opening it and staring at the picture.

"Oh… thank you," he said in shock. Aurora smiled, leaning against him and closing her eyes. Riku glanced down at her, hooking the chain to one of his belt loops and slipping the locket into his pocket. He then looked up and smiled. "Here's our stop," he said, leading her off. She looked around.

"Gordy Park? Again?" she asked. Riku nodded.

"It's the emptiest place I could think of," he explained, before turning to her. "And… I decided to teach you how to cast magic," he said. Aurora's eyes lit up.

"Really?" she asked.

"Mhm. Though, you'll need something to channel it through, so I got you this," he said, pulling out a black wristband with two silver, curved piece of metal attached to it. She took it, putting it on her left wrist. The pieces of metal fit snuggly, but comfortably around her wrist, and the cloth covered halfway down her hand, and a few inches above her wrist, seeming to mold directly to the shape of her skin.

"Wow. It's really pretty," she said. "Thank you," she said. Riku smiled.

"You're welcome. There's a trigger in the back of the hand. See if you can find it."

Aurora felt the cloth on the back of her hand and nodded, feeling a button of some sort. Riku nodded, and she pressed it. The two silver pieces of metal spun off her wrist and formed a circle, almost like a small, round buckler shield, the size of a dinner plate, where it attached to the back of her wrist. In the middle, an almost translucent energy appeared. She pressed her fingers against the energy, surprised to find it firm and unyielding.

"It's a magic shield," Riku explained. "It'll let you channel spells through it."

"Cool!" Aurora said brightly. Riku chuckled, moving over to beside her.

"Alright. The first spell I'm going to teach you is Fire."

…

Two weeks. It took Aurora two weeks to learn Fire, Blizzard, and Reflect, and be able to cast them quickly enough for an average battle against Shadow Heartless.

Finally, at the end of those two weeks, Riku realized he couldn't hold it off anymore.

"Aurora…" he said softly. They had just spent a nice day together, and were watching the sunset over the water at one of the local beaches.

"Yes, Riku?" she said from where she was resting against him. Riku was quiet for a few minutes.

"I… checked out of the hotel today," he admitted. Aurora stiffened slightly. "This has been… the best two and a half months I've ever had, but… I need to be out there, searching for a way to wake Sora up," he said. Aurora nodded, knowing all about Sora by now.

"He's lucky to have a friend as great as you," Aurora said softly, tears blurring her eyes. _(This is so selfish. I know Sora needs his help, but… I don't want him to leave…)_

"Hmm… maybe." He took her hand and gave it a squeeze, gently pulling her up so that they were standing. "I'm so sorry."

"No. Don't be. I'm being selfish," Aurora said with a weak smile. Riku shook his head, hugging her tightly.

"I will miss you. And I'll think of you every day," he said.

"I'll miss you too," Aurora said, wrapping her arms tightly around him and closing her eyes. Rather than the beach, where they had been watching the sunset, they stood in a field, on that path headed towards the sunrise. Riku, so used to this now, didn't even react. Finally, however, he pulled away, a dark portal appearing behind him.

"I'll come back to you. I promise," he said. Aurora smiled slightly, tears streaming down her face.

"I know you will."

…

There were only two in the throne room known as 'Where Nothing Gathers.' Xemnas, the Superior, and Saïx, who was holding the muddied, stuffed dog.

"The imposter is Riku. The one who destroyed Numbers five and six in Castle Oblivion," Saïx reported. "He spent about two and a half months on one world, with a girl who holds the ability to sense the balance of light and darkness in one's heart."

"Hm. Interesting," Xemnas said. "She might prove to be… quite useful."

…

 **A/N:** Alrighty, guys! Bet it seemed like I forgot about that stuffed dog, huh? Nope, I didn't!

Uh-oh. What's the Organization up to?

And yes, those lockets are supposed to be like Wayfinders. And yes, I did base that Magical Shield off of Riona's weapon from FF8. And yes, that is Riku's KH2 outfit. And finally, yes, I did mean to reflect Sora and Kairi's separation at the end of KH1 with the setting and words.

Hm… can't think of anything else!


	7. Taken

**A/N:** Hey guys! I'm back! Now we're about to get really deep into the Kingdom Hearts portion, and a little away from the Ace Attorney (but not too much). Of course, there's still a few big things that has to happen on Phoenix's world.

Review Reply to Gamergirl: Yes they are! I'm not going to answer one way or the other with Edym, though look at the name. Thank you! I love writing Riku and Aurora together. It's going to be even more fun come the DDD era. There's a little more set up in this chapter before the show can start, but it will either at the end of this chapter or the next!

Alright, nothing else to say here! Now, ONWARD!

…

Chapter Seven: Taken

The prison cell was dark. The only light came from the moon that shone outside the barred window. However, despite how late it was, the sole occupant of the cell paced, wide awake.

Suddenly, a dark portal appeared in the corner of the cell. The occupant turned towards it with narrowed eyes.

A man in a black cloak stepped out. He held another draped over his arm, which he offered the prisoner.

"It is time," the cloaked man said. The prisoner smirked, taking the cloak.

"Finally."

…

It's been a month since Riku left. Athena immediately sensed the sadness in her new friend, and took her out for ice cream, which helped a little. Phoenix was a little mad with Riku for upsetting his cousin, but also slightly relieved. He just couldn't shake the feeling that Riku was dangerous. Especially with those ten Psych-locks.

However, all of the Wright Anything Agency noticed a slight change in Aurora as well. It was more physical than anything. The muscles on her arms, especially her left arm, was becoming slightly harder and more defined. She seemed to be getting into better shape, and more focused.

What none of them knew was that Aurora would take a few hours in the morning, before school, to stop by Gordy Park, in the woods, and train. Sometimes she would simply practice her magic and test her aim on different trees. Most times, however, she would be fighting the Heartless that seemed to take up residence among the trees.

…

"Alright, here we go!" Phoenix said, putting a few pizza boxes on the coffee table. Apollo, Athena, and Aurora all looked up from their desks, where they were 'working' (reading manga, surfing the web, and playing video games, respectively), while Trucy suddenly appeared in the office in a puff of smoke.

"Food!" she said brightly, diving at the boxes and causing Phoenix to laugh.

"Don't take all the pepperoni!" Apollo said, coming over quickly as his sister started pulling slices onto her plate.

"I won't!" Trucy replied, just as Athena darted over and attacked the same pie. Aurora laughed, slipping her Nintendo DS into her shoulder bag and joining them.

Between the three girls, only one slice of Pepperoni was left in the box.

"Guys!" Apollo complained.

"Calm down," Phoenix laughed as the girls all sat around Athena's desk. "I bought two."

"Oh thank goodness," Apollo said, opening the box underneath and taking his food. Phoenix smiled, taking a few slices himself, before sitting on the couch, next to the man in red. He turned on the TV, checking the news.

" _Breaking news!"_ the news reporter exclaimed. " _The city prison has just been attacked."_

The chatter among them died as everyone turned to the television.

" _The culprits are still at large. Many prisoners have either escaped in the chaos, or been taken by the attackers. Those who were left described the attackers as… inhuman. Shadowy bugs."_ Aurora's eyes widened at that, and her left hand clenched. " _We'll keep you updated here, at Channel 4 news."_

Just then, the _Steel Samurai_ theme filled the silence in the office. Phoenix grabbed his phone from his pocket, turning the volume of the TV down.

"Phoenix Wright speaking, how can I help you?" he said. He nodded a few times, before his eyes widened.

"Are you sure?" he asked, before pinching the bridge of his nose. His eyes suddenly popped open, real fear in them. "And the Phantom?" he asked. Everyone in the room looked at him with wide eyes, only to relax when Phoenix's shoulders sagged in relief. "That's something, at least. Alright, thanks Edgeworth," he said, hanging up.

"What was that about?" Apollo asked.

"The prisoners who escaped or disappeared. Edgeworth wanted to let me know who some of them were, since we were the ones to put them behind bars to begin with.

"Well?" Athena asked.

"Florent L'Belle, Alita Tiala, Daryan Crescend… and…" he hesitated, looking over at Apollo. "Kristoph Gavin."

" _What!?_ " Apollo gasped, surprised. Phoenix nodded.

"Well, if anyone needs to be careful… it should be Apollo," Trucy suddenly said. After all it was Polly who put all of them behind bars."

"Oh great," Apollo grumbled, slumping forward, his spikes falling into his eyes. Aurora bit her lip, glancing between everyone in the room.

 _(I know what actually happened. It was the Heartless. Which means none of those people are around any longer. But… Riku said he shouldn't have even told me… so I really shouldn't tell them… even if to just comfort Apollo and tell him he's not in danger…)_

"You can stay with us," Phoenix said, putting a hand on the young man's shoulder. Apollo hesitated before smiling slightly at him.

"Thanks, Mr. Wright."

…

"Good job with the prison."

"It was child's play."

"You seem to be getting a handle over those dark powers quite quickly."

"Did you expect anything less?"

"No. Of course not. It'd be best if you just laid low and stayed out of sight for now. We don't need the others questioning why you're here."

"Understandable."

…

 _(If the Heartless are getting bold enough to attack a prison… then this world is in danger…)_

It was early the morning after the news broke about the prison break. Aurora was moving quietly around her and Trucy's room, packing her school uniform in her bag. She was wearing her normal outfit so that her school one wouldn't get ruined while training. She glanced over at Trucy with a smile, before slipping out of the room. Apollo was asleep on the couch. She stopped at him, picking the blanket up from where it had fallen to the floor and spreading it over him, before stopping in the kitchen to grab an apple. Finally, she slipped out of the apartment, locking it behind her, and walked to Gordy Park.

…

Before she even got there, she felt a chill roll through her, causing her to shiver. She shook her head, activating her shield and rushing in. Heartless, mainly Shadows, filled the area, though she recognized a few taller, slightly more humanoid ones. These were mostly blue, with armored helmets.

" _Ice!"_ she cried. Instead of shooting the spell forward, it surrounded her shield. She smirked and slashed her left arm through the air. The shield shot off in an arc. It slammed into the first Heartless, freezing it, before bouncing off, hitting a tree, and slamming into a second, then a third heartless. Finally it returned to Aurora's arm.

" _Fire!"_ she yelled, holding her left hand towards the first frozen heartless. A fireball shot from her fingertips and slammed into the heartless. With two more cries of the same spell, she took out the other two frozen ones.

Suddenly, she sensed a presence behind her and spun around, dropping into a crouching position and bringing the shield up to protect her face, crossing her forearms so as to brace her left with her right.

" _Reflect!"_ she cried, and a translucent barrier burst to life, expanding from the shield. One of the Soldier Heartless slammed it's red tipped claws into it, only to bounce off. Before it could recover, Aurora dropped the Reflect spell and surged up from her crouched position, slamming shield first into the heartless.

" _Fire!"_ she yelled as she connected. Fire burst to life, surrounding the shield and hitting the Heartless, causing it to vanish. She then turned quickly to face the remaining five. They were watching her, standing still except for their creepy twitching.

Suddenly, they all jumped at her at the same time. Crossing her arms in front of her, she cried out " _Reflect!"_ The barrier appeared just in time, but between their combined weight, and her not bracing her stance, she was pushed back into a tree, right on the edge of Gordy Lake.

Suddenly, it was like something unlocked inside of her. Using as much strength as she could muster, she shoved the Heartless away.

" _Water!"_ she yelled. Her shield suddenly became coated in the liquid. She threw it forward, where it bounced between the Heartless before slamming into a tree, sticking there. Aurora grinned when noticing that it left a trail of water behind. Without thinking, she stepped into it, surprised to find that it had a current all its own. It pulled her forward on the same path the shield had followed. She kicked out at the Heartless that were stunned, finishing them off, before reaching her shield and wrenching it out of the tree and reattaching it to her left arm band. Turning, she sighed in relief to find that all of the Heartless were gone.

" _Cure…_ " she muttered. Her shield flashed, and green light surrounded her, easing any and all aches and bruises she had. That was another spell she had randomly learned, right after her first fight with those soldiers, when they had left a huge gash in her arm.

"Impressive! Who would-a thought you could deal with so many at once after so little training?" a voice suddenly said. Aurora froze, looking around.

Suddenly, a frozen breeze washed over her from behind. She spun on her heel, just in time to hear what sounded like some kind of gun being shot.

" _Reflect!_ " she yelled, crossing her arms in front of her. The barrier appeared, just in time. A purplish-white blast slammed into her shield, throwing her back. Aurora rolled backwards from the force, but quickly pushed herself to her hands and knees, looking down at the shield. A purplish-white arrow… projectile _thing_ was stuck in her shield for a moment, before it vanished.

"Ooh. You're quick, too," the mysterious voice called, amusement in his voice. She quickly jumped to her feet, pressing her back to a tree and looking around.

"Who are you!?" she demanded.

In a blur of black, a man appeared in front of her. He was wearing the same kind of coat as Riku, and an eyepatch. He had long, black hair, streaked through with silver, that was tied back into a ponytail.

"The name's Xigbar. And you're coming with me," he said with a smirk. The look in his visible, gold eye shook Aurora to the core.

"No I'm not," she said, bringing her shield up.

"Oh, what? Are you going to stop me with that little toy? Hah. As if," he laughed. Aurora ground her teeth, and suddenly lashed out with her foot. It connected, and Xigbar's eyes went wide as all the air escaped him.

"Un…fair… shot…" he wheezed in a high pitched voice, dropping to the ground. Aurora spun around the tree and ran, hard and fast.

Before she reached the tree line, another cold presence appeared to her left. She glanced over in time to see another man in a black cloak, this time with his hood drawn and his face hidden. A rapier, with a black blade and silver crosspiece, appeared in his hand, and he dashed towards her. She crossed her arms in front of her, catching his thrust with her shield and sliding backwards. Before she could react, the man spun gracefully around to behind her, and slammed the pommel of his rapier into her temple. She dropped to the ground in pain, darkness gathering at the edge of her vision.

"Riku..." she breathed before she fell unconscious.

Xigbar managed to pull himself to his feet, still half-crouched, and limped his way over to where the man was de-summoning his sword.

"What happened to you laying low and staying out of sight?" he wheezed. The man turned his head slightly towards Xigbar with a smirk.

"You appeared to need help," he said, not at all ruffled by the other man's rudeness. He reached under his hood, adjusting something that Xigbar couldn't see, before turning. A dark portal surrounded him. "Better return before the Superior gets impatient," he said as he vanished. Xigbar rolled his eyes before looking down at Aurora. With a spiteful scowl, he made a portal appear underneath her, dropping her roughly through.

...

Riku's head snapped up as his heart randomly thudded in his chest.

 _(What... What's happened?)_ he thought, his hand unconciously tightening around the star-shaped locket in his pocket.

…

 **A/N:** This chapter was a lot of fun to write, heh.

I just realized that by naming her Aurora, I kept with the apparent tradition of all the younger WAA lawyers names starting with an A.

Also, it was originally supposed to be Saïx who took her, but ever since DDD, I've seriously wanted Xigbar to get kicked in his soft spot. I saw an opening and took it.

Also, who could that mysteriously, Rapier wielding, cloaked man be? Hmm…


	8. Organization XIII

**A/N:** Here's another chapter!

…

Chapter Eight: Organization XIII

Phoenix paced the office, deep in thought. Apollo and Athena were currently out on a case they had just received, while Trucy and Aurora were at school.

At least… he hoped. Aurora, as usual for a while now, was gone before he woke up. And for whatever reason, he had a really, really bad feeling.

Just then, his phone rang. He immediately grabbed it, answering. "Phoenix Wright speaking, how can I help you?"

" _Hello, Mr. Wright. This is Ms. Lancer, the secretary from Themis Academy. Aurora Wright never showed up for class today. We just want to make sure she's okay?"_ the woman on the other end of the line said. Phoenix froze for a moment.

"She… what?" he asked.

" _She didn't show up. Mr. Wright, is everything okay?"_ Ms. Lancer asked.

"I…" Phoenix dropped onto the couch, putting a hand over his eyes. "I'm not sure. Can I call you back?"

" _Uh, sure. Just call this number, okay?"_

"Alright. Thanks, Ms. Lancer," Phoenix said, hanging up. He then dialed Aurora's phone. After a moment, the ringing cut off.

" _Hello?"_

"Er, hi. I… this is my cousin's phone. I'm trying to reach her. Who is this?" Phoenix said.

" _My name's Ben Joe. I found this phone in the park this morning. I tried to call the most recent number, but… the phone was locked."_

"In the park? People or Gordy?" Phoenix asked.

" _Gordy, but I'm in school right now. Er, who is this?"_ Ben asked.

"Right. Er, Phoenix Wright. You can just drop it off at the Wright Anything Agency. Thanks," he said, before hanging up. He grabbed his jacket and darted out.

( _What was she doing in Gordy Park?)_

…

It wasn't hard to find the area where Aurora last was. However, Phoenix was horrified when seeing the condition of the trees.

There were gashes and scorch marks all over them. There was even a lot of mud further away from the lake then there should have been, considering the lack of rain in the past two weeks. Phoenix slowly walked through the area, looking around.

"Aurora!" he called. No answer. "Aurora!?"

Movement caught the corner of Phoenix's eye. He turned towards it, and froze. A shadow like bug crept towards Phoenix, it's glowing, yellow eyes trained on him.

Phoenix turned and ran. He could hear snapping twigs behind him and glanced back. Two of those things were following him, easily keeping up.

One of the bugs sunk into the ground and rushed forward, popping up just in front of Phoenix. He skid to a stop, stumbling backwards in an attempt to avoid it's claws.

"Mr. Wright, get down!" a vaguely familiar voice suddenly yelled. Phoenix hit the ground, and felt something slice through the air above him. Both bugs burst into black smoke.

"Are you okay?" the voice asked. Looking up, he saw, to his surprise, Riku, holding a hand out to him. He accepted it, and Riku pulled him up.

"Yeah," he muttered, straightening his jacket. "Thanks."

"No problem." Riku was turning his head this way and that, as though looking for something. "Where's Aurora?"

"I…" Phoenix's shoulders drooped. "I don't know. I came here looking for her," Phoenix admitted. Riku turned to him sharply.

"What?" he gasped. Phoenix simply nodded.

"She's… missing."

Riku pulled the star-shaped locket from his pocket and studied it for a moment, not even needing to open it. He then nodded, clenching it in his fist.

"I'll find her. Don't worry," Riku swore.

"But how? This is her brother, all over again!" Phoenix said, desperation in his voice. _(How am I even supposed to tell her parents about this?)_

"Maybe it is," Riku agreed. "Either way, I'll make sure she returns home safely. I promise." He turned on his heel, striding away from Phoenix and entering through a dark portal that opened in front of him. Phoenix's eyes grew wide at that, but before he could follow the young man, the portal vanished.

…

A cloaked figure watched the scene unfold from behind a tree. He crossed his arms across his chest with a small frown, watching Phoenix Wright walk away unharmed.

"The luck of the devil himself," he muttered, before vanishing in a surge of darkness.

…

Pain throbbed through Aurora's head as she slowly returned to consciousness. She moaned softly, shifting a little and taking note that the bed was also uncomfortable. Slowly, she opened her eyes, seeing nothing but white above and around her.

 _(A hospital? No…it doesn't have that clean smell. And it's too… cold.)_

Shivers rolled through Aurora, though she didn't know if that was from cold or fear. She rubbed her eyes and looked around again. ( _No, it's not white. Not pure white, at least. It's a grayish kind of color…)_ she thought, taking in the pipes that was on the walls and the furniture that matched the color of the walls. A table with a chair sat in the corner, and a dresser sat against the wall across from the door. Even the bed she was on, from the frame, to the sheets and blankets, to the pillows, matched the colors of the walls. The only exception was a black symbol on the headboard. The bottom was like an upside down heart. As it moved towards the top, the curves were replaced with spikes. Finally, there was a large window. Aurora stood and moved closer, noticing there was no glass.

 _(A way to escape!?)_ she thought, sticking her head out. Nausea rolled over her, and she stumbled back from it. The room she was in must have been hundreds of stories up. In fact, it seemed like the building she was in… was _floating_. She looked up at the sky out the window again. It was pitch black, with only the moon shining. The moon… which was heart shaped. _(A new world? Do different worlds have different laws of Physics?)_ she thought, before turning towards the bed again. Something caught her eye that she missed before.

It was a stuffed dog. Here and there were patches of dried mud, but otherwise, she instantly recognized it. It was the same that Riku had won for her at the Gordy Carnival, months ago. Her hand shot up to her throat, where her locket hung.

 _(Riku! I… I have to get out of here!)_ she thought, grabbing the dog and running to the door. She grabbed the handle and twisted, but it wouldn't budge.

"Of course!" she spat bitterly, kicking the door before reaching to activate her shield.

That's when she noticed it was gone.

"Wha?" she gasped, doing a quick inventory. She still had her shoulder bag, with everything in it, and her book bag, which was sitting next to the desk. The only things it seemed she was missing was the shield, and her phone.

A chill suddenly overtook Aurora.

"I would sit down, if I were you," a voice said from the corner closest to the window. She whirled around, spotting a man in one of those black cloaks. His hood was down, showing a mane of blue hair, pointed ears, and an 'x' shaped scar across his face. Aurora narrowed her eyes, noticing that his was glowing orange.

Suddenly, something she heard an officer telling her parents years ago drifted to mind.

 _If he was kidnapped, Edym has the best chance of getting out of it unharmed by cooperating with his captures…_

With a sigh, Aurora turned and walked over to the desk, sitting in the chair. The man nodded slightly. "I assume you have questions?" he prompted.

"Who are you? Where am I, and why am I here?" she immediately asked. The man smirked slightly.

"I am Saïx, Number VII of Organization XIII. We are in The Castle That Never Was, home of the Organization. And you are here, because of your ability," the man, Saïx, explained.

"My ability?" Aurora asked.

"Yes. The Superior feels that it will be most useful in attaining one of his goals," he replied. Aurora looked down, putting a hand over her heart.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. A moment later, it opened, admitting another man wearing the same cloak. He had his hood up, covering his face. He carried a tray of food in his hands.

"I brought dinner, just like you asked, Num—" the young man cut off, the tray slipping from his grip. It hit the ground with a loud clatter, causing Aurora to jump.

"Number IX! What is the meaning of this?" Saïx growled. The young man ignored him, staring, instead, at their prisoner.

"No… A-Aurora?" he stammered. And that's when she felt it.

Surrounded by coldness, radiating off of the young man was a comforting warmth. The kind she's only ever felt once before. She knew, if she closed her eyes, she would see a comforting fireplace.

"Edym…?" she asked, her voice just as small and meek as it used to be. The young man pulled his hood off, revealing the same man as the one in the picture in her bag. He was a little older, and his hair was a little longer, but he was the same.

"Oh my god, what are you doing here?" he asked, holding his arms out for her. Aurora stood, ready to rush towards her long lost brother, when Saïx moved himself to in between them.

"Get out," he growled at the young man.

"But—"

" _Now!_ " he snarled, his hair growing wild, his eyes becoming fully yellow. Edym grew pale, stumbling back. Saïx frowned at him. "I will not harm her, Demyx, unless you _leave_. And have Number XIII bring new food for her," he demanded.

"Y-yes, Number VII," the young man said. He stepped back through the door, his eyes locking with Aurora's once more, before he closed it.

"Wait!" Aurora cried, rushing over to the door. It was already locked. "No! Edym! Come back! Please…" She slid to her knees, resting her arms and forehead against the door. Five years of hope and dread, wishing and fear, overwhelmed her, and she let it all out, not even noticing when Saïx left.

A little later, there was another knock on the door. Aurora was now sitting on the bed, her arms wrapped tightly around the stuffed dog. She quickly looked up, hopeful to see her brother once more, but was instead met with the sight of a young man, maybe about a year younger then herself. He was holding a tray, much like Edym had been.

"Errrr…. I guess I'll just… put this over here…" he muttered, walking over to her desk. He stopped and looked at her again, offering her a small smile. "Um… I'm Roxas. You?" he said.

"Aurora," she answered, letting herself feel the warmth that radiated off of this boy. "You're… with… them?" she asked. Roxas nodded.

"Yeah. Um… I don't know why you're upset, but… it'll all be okay. I'm sure of it," he said. She smiled a little more, getting the feeling that this boy wasn't evil. He was unlike the others. Just… misguided. And naive. Besides, not everyone in this group could be evil… right? After all, she'd seen Edym with them. And Riku wore the same cloak…

"Thank you, Roxas. I guess I'm just… scared," she said. Roxas nodded in understanding, glancing around.

"I understand. I guess it can be a little scary here, if you're not used to it," he said. Aurora nodded, and Roxas sighed. "Well, I had better be going. Can't keep Luxord waiting for our mission," he said, walking out. Aurora hugged the dog a little closer for a moment, before standing and going over to the desk to see what they were feeding her.

…

There were only four people in the room known as 'Where Nothing Gathers.' Saïx, Demyx, Axel, and Xemnas.

"Please, sir. I-I know Aurora. She's not cut out for this," Demyx said, pleading with their leader.

"Calm down, Numer IX. I do not plan to change her into one of us. On the contrary, her ability is much more useful as she is now," the man said. Demyx fell into a stunned silence at that. "However, it is crucial that you keep your mind on your work as well. To that end… you are forbidden to go anywhere near her."

"Wh-what!?" Demyx gasped. Xemnas simply nodded before turning his attention to Axel.

"I am placing her under your care, Number VIII. You will use her to continue the mission you began at Castle Oblivion. Number XIII will continue to supply her with food, and you are to guard her room. Only myself, him, and Numbers II and VII are allowed in her room. Turn all others away," he commanded.

"Sure thing," Axel said in his off-handed way. Xemnas nodded.

"You are dismissed," he said. Axel nodded once more, disappearing in a surge of darkness. Xemnas turned to face Demyx once more. "As are you."

"Yes, sir," Demyx said, vanishing as well. Saïx watched after them, before looking up at Xemnas.

"Do you think this will work?" he asked.

"I don't see why not," Xemnas said with a smirk. "After all, if the castle is devoid of hearts except one shattered one, she should be able to easily find that with her ability."

…

Axel leaned against the wall next to the door that lead to Aurora's room. He had yet to meet the girl inside, figuring that would happen tomorrow when he got her for their first outing.

Just then, he caught movement from the corner of his eye. He quickly turned his head, spotting Demyx walking quickly towards him.

"Whoa there, Demyx. You know I can't let you in," Axel said, standing up straight.

…

" _Whoa there, Demyx. You know I can't let you in."_

Aurora quickly looked up at the sound of voices outside her door. She moved closer, pressing her ear against it.

" _I know. I just… I need to talk to you, Axel. About her,_ " a second voice said. Aurora immediately recognized this one as Edym's.

 _(They call him 'Demyx?')_

" _Well?"_ The first voice, Axel, asked.

" _Aurora… she's not like us. She's… fragile. Very withdrawn, thanks to that ability of hers. Just… be gentle with her. Please,"_ Demyx pleaded. Aurora smiled sadly at that.

 _(I used to be, Edym. Five years ago. Maybe even a year or two ago. But… not anymore. I have Nick and the Agency to thank for that. And… Riku.)_

"… _What is your relation to her, anyway? How do you know her so well?"_ Axel asked.

" _She's my little sister,"_ Demyx answered simply.

…

"She's my little sister," Demyx answered, looking at the door longingly, before turning on his heel and walking away. Axel watched after him in surprise, before looking at the door once more.

He was surprised at the fire and stubbornness Demyx had shown today.

 _(Maybe he was just so… lazy and passive because he missed her? Heh, funny. How can you miss someone… when you have no heart?)_

…

 **A/N:** Ah, the various members of the Organization. We're in full swing of Kingdom Hearts now! And for those of you who guessed that Edym was Demyx, you were correct! Riku's on even more of a war path now…


	9. Distress

**A/N:** Another chapter! Yes, I changed the title, since this is only the first in the _Turnabout Hearts_ series!

Well, nothing more to say here. ONWARD!

…

Chapter Nine: Distress

 _~Day 149~  
_

Aurora's parents reacted just as Phoenix had suspected when he called them. Lots of yelling at him for not watching her closer. Lots of crying. Lots of blame. Phoenix stayed silent, guilt washing over him in pounding waves, until they finally said that they'd be there in a few days and hung up.

By the time Athena, Apollo, and Trucy returned to the office, Phoenix was holding his head in his hands. He didn't even look up to greet them.

"Uh-oh," Athena muttered, hearing the guilt and worry from his heart.

"Mr. Wright?" Apollo asked, going over to his open office door. There was no answer. Trucy followed, opening her mouth, when there was a knock on the door.

"I got it," she said, going back to the door and opening it. She started slightly in surprise.

"Oh, Ben?" she asked. In front of her was one of her classmates, just a year younger than her. He rubbed the back of his head.

"Hey, Trucy. Is this the Wright Anything Agency?" he asked. Trucy nodded. "Well, I found this phone in the park this morning," he pulled out the smart phone, "and a Mr. Phoenix Wright—" he cut off as Phoenix suddenly appeared at Trucy's shoulder, gently taking the mud covered phone.

"Thank you," he said in a hoarse voice, before disappearing back to his office. The three younger members and Ben watched after him, before Trucy turned back to Ben.

"What do you mean, you found it in the park?"

"Just what I said. I was out there, jogging, when I saw it. I took it to school with me, planning on taking it to the police, but as I was about to say, a Mr. Phoenix Wright called it, and asked me to drop it off here. What's going on?" Ben asked.

"I don't know. I'm about to find out. Thanks, Ben. I'll see you tomorrow," Trucy said. The young man nodded and left. Trucy spun on her heel and walked right into Phoenix's office, not bothering to knock.

"Daddy, is that Aurora's phone?" she demanded. She knew it was. She recognized the case, it was one of those silicone character ones.

Phoenix finally lifted his head, looking up at Trucy.

"Trucy… Aurora never showed up to school today."

"What!?" Trucy gasped. Phoenix nodded.

"And her phone was found in the park. I went there, and… there were signs of a struggle, but no her. And Aunt Gwen and Uncle Hank haven't heard from her for a bit either…"

"No… not again…" Trucy breathed, sitting next to Phoenix and hugging him.

…

Aurora decided to use Edym's (Demyx's?) request to Axel to her advantage. Of course, she didn't have her shield, so she had nothing to channel magic through, but she decided she'd might as well give it a shot anyway.

Axel came and got her in the early morning.

"Alright. We're off to do our top secret mission. That means no telling Roxas. Got it memorized?" Axel said with a grin. Aurora nodded, hunching her shoulders slightly and wrapping her arms around herself. The smile faded slightly from Axel's face, and he messed with the spikes at the back of his head.

"Yeesh. Demyx was right. Well, come on. I won't bite," he said. Aurora hesitated before nodding slightly, following him.

"W-what do you want me to do?" she asked, forcing the stammer. Axel glanced back at her.

"We're to find something called the Chamber of Awakening. Lord Xemnas believes it to be in Castle Oblivion," he explained.

"And… what does this… have to do with me?"

"He thinks that, with your ability, you might be able to find it," Axel explained. He entered an open area and lifted his hand, causing a dark portal to appear.

Even without the act, these things scared Aurora. So, she poured it on, shaking her head and backing away from it. Axel caught her arm.

"Oh, come on. It's not that scary," he said.

"But—"

"No buts." Axel pulled her through. Aurora shivered as the icy cold washed over her.

But that was nothing compared to where they appeared. It wasn't dark.

But it wasn't light.

It was _nothing_. Worse than The Castle That Never Was. There, she could at least sense the other members of the Organization, or whatever it was called.

Here, all she could sense was Axel. This place really was empty.

"Well?" Axel asked. Aurora shook her head, taking that time to quickly look around. There was a large door ahead of her, up a few steps. There was also a large door behind, even bigger then the first.

 _(The exit? I don't sense anyone beyond it, but still… this might be my only chance.)_

"I-I'm scared," she stammered, suddenly digging her feet in. Axel rolled his eyes at that, taking her arm and attempting to drag her forward.

"There's nothing to be scared of. Now come on," he said. Aurora clenched her left hand into a fist, knowing she only had one chance at this. She took a deep breath, reaching into the well of magic she had discovered and nurtured within herself, before lifting her left hand, fingers spread wide, palm facing Axel. He turned his head to look back at her.

"Huh?"

" _BLIZZARD!"_ she yelled. Ice magic burst forth from her hand. It wasn't the concentrated shot she usually did with her shield, but an uncontrollable blast forward, spreading over a wide, but shallow area.

Thankfully, Axel had been directly in front of her, and took the brunt of the hit, crying out in surprise and pain. Aurora yanked her arm from his grip and ran down the hall, back towards the bigger door.

"A-Aurora! Wait!" Axel yelled, totally surprised, and a little angry, that she used his weakness against him. Aurora didn't listen. Instead, she slammed open the doors, leapt down the steps, and kept running.

 _(I don't know where I am. I don't even know where this trail leads! But maybe, if I can find someone to help me… Maybe even if I can find Riku…_ )

Something suddenly caught her foot, and she slammed, face first, into the ground with a grunt. Rolling over slightly, she saw a red and silver disk with spikes, lying next to her foot. She quickly climbed to her feet, ignoring the cramp in her side, and looked around frantically. Axel appeared a few feet to her right, summoning his weapon. She spun to face him.

" _Blizzard!"_ she yelled. The same thing as before happened, although this time, Aurora noticed the difference. It drained her of her magic faster than when she channeled spells through her shield.

Axel dodged this time, noticing the same thing. "Come on, Aurora. This is stupid. You're not going to escape. Got it memorized?" he said. Aurora scowled, before looking down the path, away from the castle. She swung her arm that way.

" _Water!"_ she yelled. A huge tidal wave appeared, and the drain caused her to stumble, but she dove into it all the same, riding the current. Axel scowled after her.

"She really is related to Water Boy," he grumbled, chasing after the wave. Like all waves, it didn't last long. The water slammed into the ground, like a wave crashing, and Aurora rolled out of it. She quickly got to her feet, only for Axel to appear next to her in a blur of black. He slammed the edge of his hand down on the back of her neck, causing her to collapse. Axel caught her with a sigh before she hit the ground.

"But, you know, she's fragile," Axel grumbled.

…

 _(First, the Organization interferes with Sora's Awakening. Then, they kidnap Aurora. What else are they going to take away from me?)_

Riku slowly walked along the bridge of The Beast's Castle, deep in thought. Without knowing how, or even meaning to, Aurora had somehow connected the lockets so that they would lead to the other, meaning it took no time at all for Riku to track her to The Castle That Never Was.

The only issue? She was too heavily guarded to mount a rescue by himself. Besides, DiZ would get angry if he endangered their mission.

So, for now, he just had to hope that she was okay.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps running up behind him. He turned his head slightly glancing behind him. A slim girl in an Organization hood ran at him, Keyblade in hand. Riku frowned and summoned Soul Eater, spinning and parrying her surprise attack.

"Wha!?" she gasped, before trying again. Riku easily parried her attacks, before suddenly striking her wrist. She cried out in surprise as he slammed her back, where she fell to her hands and knees. The Keyblade landed in between them point down, the chain swinging wildly.

Riku stood up straight and de-summoned Soul Eater, turning to face her. The girl collapsed with a grunt, and Riku walked towards her, guilt swarming him for taking down a girl like that.

However, curiosity got the better of him. He knelt next to her and carefully pulled her hood back, lifting his blindfold from one eye to see clearly.

Kairi's face, framed with black hair, stared back at him. With a gasp, he quickly stood, backing away. The girl grunted, pushing herself into a sitting position.

"Your face… Who are you, really?" Riku asked. "And why do you have a Keyblade?"

The girl pulled the hood back over her face before looking up at him. "Tell me first… why you are dressed as one of us," she demanded. Riku looked at her for a moment before turning away, walking over to where her Keyblade still stood.

"To make sure my best friend… sleeps in peace," he said. _(And now… to find a way to save Aurora…)_

He reached down, yanking the blade from the ground and studying it. _(Just as I thought.)_ "I don't know who you're supposed to be. But… you can't fight fire with sparks." He turned it this way and that, looking at it from different angles. "This Keyblade, it's a sham—worthless." With that last word, he turned slightly, tossing it back to the girl. She gasped, looking after it as it bounced slightly behind her.

"My Keyblade is not a sham!" she said, before turning to give him a withering look from beneath her hood. "What gives you the right to say that?" Without warning, she grabbed it and ran at Riku, ready to attack.

Riku stood rock still, until the moment she swung. He spun, ducking under the blade and halfway behind her, striking her in the middle of the back with his fist. She gasped, falling to the ground once more. This time, the Keyblade vanished from her hand.

Riku stood and turned to look at her, pity rolling through him. _(She probably has no clue…)_ "Find a new crowd. Trust me. Those guys are bad news." He turned and began walking away, knowing that this time, the fight really was over.

The girl pushed herself up, glaring after him. "Why?" she demanded. "You're the real sham."

Riku hesitated, thinking over everything he's seen and done. He reached into his pocket, gripping the locket. _(Perhaps she's right. Even my relationship with Aurora… was destined to come to nothing.)_

"Fair enough. You could say I am…" he hesitated, letting go of the locket, "the biggest Nobody of them all."

As he walked away, the girl screamed in anger and pain. A small part of Riku felt like joining her.

…

Roxas sat alone on the Twilight Town clock tower, enjoying his ice cream as he waited for his friends.

"Hey, Roxas!" Axel said as he rounded the corner, joining him. Roxas quirked an eyebrow at him, noticing there was a little bit of frost on the hem of his cloak.

"Axel… what happened to you?" he asked.

"Long story short… apparently Demyx's sister knows magic," Axel said, sitting next to his friend and opening a popsicle. "I took her out on the first mission today, and I guess she got scared, 'cause she suddenly cast Blizzard."

"Ouch…" Roxas muttered. "But both you and her are okay?"

"Yep. Never better," Axel said with a grin. "But what about you? Are you holding up?" Axel asked.

Roxas nodded with a smile, looking back out at the sunset. "Yeah."

Axel nodded slightly before looking at the spot past Roxas. "Where's Xion?" he asked.

Roxas glanced over at him, then to her spot. "She's not here yet."

…

 _~Day 150~_

Aurora awoke the next morning to someone quietly moving across her room. She quickly sat up.

"Who's there!?" she demanded. The person jumped, turning slightly to reveal that it was just Roxas, carrying a tray of food.

"Ah, you're awake," he said, setting it down on her desk. Aurora hesitated before nodding.

"Er, yes." _(So… it all was real after all. I'm really trapped here. And… I didn't escape.)_

Roxas smiled warmly at her, bringing over the glass of water.

"Axel mentioned something scared you yesterday. I… understand if it was Axel himself," Roxas said with a chuckle. Aurora smiled sadly, taking the glass of water. "But really, Axel's not that scary at all. He's just… coarse, you know?"

"Hm… yeah," Aurora muttered, taking a sip of the water. Roxas nodded at her with another smile.

"I gotta run. I have a mission. But I'll see you tonight, when I bring in more food. 'Kay?" he asked. Aurora nodded her thanks, and the boy darted out. Aurora sighed, putting the water on her nightstand, and drawing her knees up.

…

Riku stood on the roof of Beasts Castle. He reached forward and gripped his hand into a fist, thinking back to meeting that girl, before looking down at it. With a small shake of his head, he reached up, pulling his hood down. He then looked up at the stars with a soft, sad sigh, reflecting back on his journey so far.

…

 **A/N:** And there's the end of another chapter! I'm starting to work in the Days scenes now. What do you think?


	10. Fractured

**A/N:** Nothing much to say here.

Alright, here we go!

…

Chapter Ten: Fractured

 _~Day 152~_

Phoenix met his aunt and uncle at the airport, a sad feeling of déjà vu flowing through him. It was exactly like before, when he met Aurora here. And before that, when his aunt and uncle met him and Trucy at the airport in Pennsylvania, five years ago.

There was no greeting. No hugs. No words as the three gathered their luggage and walked over to the rental cars. Phoenix silently loaded the trunk of their temporary car, and climbed in the back while they finalized things with the dealer. Hank slid into the driver's side, while Gwen took the passenger seat.

Looking up, Phoenix studied his aunt and uncle. He was the spitting image of his uncle. The same black, spiky hair, dark eyes, and kinked eyebrows. That was understandable, as Hank and Phoenix's father, Jeremy, looked exactly alike, even if Jeremy was eight years older. Gwen, on the other hand, had the dirty blond hair that both of her kids shared, and the same greenish-blue eyes that belonged to Edym. She turned her head, finally meeting Phoenix's eyes.

"I'm… sorry for our reaction, Nick," she finally said. Phoenix shook his head, looking down.

"It's fine, Aunt Gwen. I understand. I'd… be pretty mad too, if I trusted someone to look after Trucy, and she went missing," he said. Gwen reached back, putting her hand on her nephew's knee.

"Phoenix, this isn't your fault. It's not like you made her disappear. You kept a close eye on her, right?" she asked. Phoenix nodded.

"Yeah. I didn't think there'd be any harm in letting her go jogging in the morning. After all, Athena does, and she's not too much older than her," he said.

"Jogging? I didn't know she was becoming a health nut," Hank suddenly said. Phoenix smiled slightly.

"I think Athena was having a good influence on her. I'd find them sometimes, with Athena giving her health tips and all." Phoenix shook his head at the memory and looked down.

 _(Aurora… where are you?)_

…

Since Aurora had almost managed to escape three days ago, she hadn't been taken from her room. Roxas always came by, wishing her a good morning with a bright smile with breakfast. For dinner, he'd tell her all about his missions, usually to defeat the Heartless, or his time spent with Axel and Xion.

Aurora almost felt sorry for ice blasting Axel. He didn't sound like a bad guy, when listening to Roxas.

There was always someone outside her door. Usually, it was Axel, but on occasion, she'd sense a darker heart then his.

Which… was beginning to not make sense, since Roxas finally explained what Organization XIII was.

A group, comprised of fourteen Nobodies. Beings without hearts.

 _(If they don't have hearts, how am I sensing them? After all, it's the balance of one's heart that I sense…)_

Today was different when she woke up, though. No one was outside her door.

Now was her chance.

She stuffed the dog into her book bag, and pulled out a metal paperclip, quickly unbending it to form a rod. With clumsy fingers, she threaded it into the lock and began moving it around, trying to find the location of all of the tumblers.

 _Click!_

"Yes!" she breathed, sticking the ruined paperclip in her pocket. "Thank you, Trucy," she said with a grin, carefully opening the door and looking around.

There was no one.

 _(Now to just get out of here._ )

…

Down seemed like the best option for escape, so down Aurora went. She continued taking every path that led further and further down, until finally, she saw what seemed to be the exit.

"Finally…" she breathed, starting towards it.

"And where do you think you're going?" a voice said to the left. Aurora turned her head, just as a portal of darkness appeared.

A man in a cloak burst from it, rushing at her, Rapier at the ready. Aurora dove to the side, just narrowly dodging him and regretting never looking for her shield.

 _(Oh well…)_ she thought, holding her hand out towards him. " _Water!"_

A tidal wave rushed the man, slamming into him. It was no use, however, as he cloaked himself in darkness as protection. Aurora jumped to her feet, attempting to run, when the darkness surrounding him lashed out, grabbing her ankle.

"Whoa!" she cried, slamming into the ground. Another tendril of darkness grabbed her other ankle, dragging her back to him.

"Let me go!" she yelled, kicking out.

"I think not," he said, pulling her until she was right in front of him. Two more tendrils lashed out, wrapping around her wrists and dragging her up so that she hung in front of him. "You have a mission," he said.

"Castle Oblivion?" Aurora asked, struggling to get free. "There's nothing there! I sensed _nothing!"_ she yelled. The man chuckled, adjusting something on his face, under his hood, before shaking his head.

"Then perhaps your destiny lies not in that, but another path," he said. He turned his head to the side slightly, before nodding. In a surge of darkness, his rapier changed, becoming a Keyblade. It was black and silver, with two blades sprouting out of the demonic goat's head that acted as the cross hilt. A blue eye with a cat-like pupil was set in the point, while the teeth of the 'key' part curved downwards, to about mid-blade.

The man ran his hand along the flat of the blade, before stepping back and pointing it at Aurora's chest.

"You are so much like that man I despise…" he said, shaking his head. "So… naive. So trusting. I broke that in him, and I might just do the same with you." He laughed, an almost crazed sound. "But, for now, you have so much more value than him. The Organization will be so much stronger if they control their own pure light."

The tip flashed, and Aurora cried out in pain, arching slightly against the dark binds. A tiny orb of purple light pulled out of her chest, and Aurora fell limp.

"Hmph. Not even enough to create another being. Useless," the man said. Before he could do anything else, however, the orb floated away, out of his reach, and out of The World That Never Was. The man watched after it with a scowl, before banishing both the darkness and the Keyblade. Aurora dropped to the ground in a heap, but didn't react. The man glanced down at the Rapier that had returned to his hand, nodded, and vanished.

…

Riku stood on the roof of Beast's Castle once more, staring up at the stars. His job, for now, was to wait to see how much more Naminé could repair before he had to interfere again.

A chill suddenly shot down his spine, causing him to shiver. He looked around for a minute, trying to figure out what happened, when a pang shot through his heart. He gasped, putting a hand to his chest.

"Aurora?" he breathed, worry lacing his voice.

…

Xemnas, who had been in the middle of a statement, suddenly stopped, turning his head slightly to the side.

"The girl has escaped," he said.

"What!?" Axel gasped. Demyx's head quickly snapped up, hope surging through him. He still didn't know what the Organization wanted with her, but he knew it couldn't be good.

If she had managed to escape…

"She has been subdued in the castle by the lesser Nobodies," Xemnas reported. Demyx's whole posture slumped, anger coursing through him.

"'Subdued,' sir?" he asked.

"Knocked out and recaptured," Number III, Xaldin, replied, as though it should be obvious.

Xemnas nodded, returning back to the topic on hand.

…

 _~Day 153~_

"She still hasn't woken up," Axel said as Demyx stalked towards where the Flame Wielder stood in front of Aurora's door. He didn't answer, instead heading straight towards the door.

"Demyx, you know you can't—"

" _Dance, Water, Dance!"_ Demyx snapped. Three water clones suddenly slammed into Axel, shoving him away. Demyx entered without so much as a knock, causing the only conscious occupant in the room to jump.

Roxas looked up in surprise, turning to face Demyx.

"Roxas?" he asked, stopping in surprise.

"Hey, Demyx," Roxas said, closing the thick book that had been in his lap. Demyx glanced at it, then back at Roxas.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked.

"Looking after her until she wakes up," Roxas said, looking over at Aurora. "Axel says Xion did the same for me, when I wouldn't wake up, and since I'm the only one who's supposed to be in here…" Roxas trailed off.

"O… kay…" Demyx said, feeling a rush of gratitude towards the younger man. "What are you reading?"

"Oh?" Roxas asked, looking up. Demyx pointed to the book. "Oh! It's called _An Introduction to Criminal Law_. I dunno, I've seen her reading it a lot. I thought, you know, maybe I'd read it to her while she was out," Roxas explained. Demyx smiled with a nod.

"We have a cousin who used to be a lawyer. Maybe she got an interest in it from him," he said, noticing the Themis Legal Academy patch on her book bag. Axel, who recovered from the sudden water attack, put a hand on Demyx's shoulder.

"Maybe you should leave. You know, before Xemnas finds out," he said. Demyx nodded, looking back at Roxas.

"Thank you for watching after her for me," he said, letting Axel draw him out. Roxas smiled.

"Sure," he said.

Axel closed the door and wrung his cloak out, muttering in frustration. "There. Happy?" he demanded.

"Yes. Axel… thanks for… keeping her safe," Demyx said. Axel looked up before frowning, looking away.

"Yeah sure. Just stop being so sappy. We're Nobodies, you know? We can't be sappy," the red head said. Demyx chuckled at that.

"I'm not too sure…" he admitted, walking away.

…

 **A/N:** And there you go! I am convinced Demyx has a hidden, fierce side to him. This just proves it.

Also, would anyone like to hazard a guess as to who that cloaked figure with the Rapier is?

Hm… not much else to add here!


	11. Awake and Asleep

**A/N:** Hey guys! Here comes the next chapter.

Before starting it, however, there is a SECRET EPISODE to this story that takes place between this chapter and the last. It's called _The Light Connecting Our Hearts_ , and it features Aurora meeting WolfieRed23's KH OC, Shaylee. We did a two-shot collab, and it's very much canon to this series, which I will show throughout.

Now, ONWARD!

…

Chapter Eleven: Awake and Asleep

 _~Day 155~_

The police continued their search, aided by volunteers, such as those from the Wright Anything Agency, Aurora's parents, and even some of her classmates from Themis, like Juniper Woods, Hugh O'Conner, Robin Newman, and Myriam Scuttlebutt.

But, by now, it had already been six days. The very few leads they had has grown cold.

They haven't found anything new.

…

Roxas frowned slightly as he stumbled over one of the more complicated words in Aurora's book. He had found another in her book bag: _Evidence Laws – Post-Dark Age_. It seemed like an extremely new book, not that Roxas understood any of it while he read it to the comatose Aurora.

It had been two days now since she had tried to leave, and the lesser Nobodies had subdued her. Demyx was going frantic with worry the longer she took to wake up, and even lashed out at Luxord yesterday until Saïx was forced to confine him to his room until he could calm down.

Nothing was making sense anymore. Lazy, passive, happy-go-lucky Demyx was wound tighter then a spring. Roxas overheard the higher-ups talk about Aurora's "usefulness" yesterday in Twilight's Passing, and Xion seemed to be struggling more than ever.

It was enough to give Roxas a headache.

Suddenly, Aurora groaned softly. Roxas looked up, watched as she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, before blinking them open. He leaned closer.

"Aurora?"

The girl turned her head and looked at the bag that she constantly wore, where it sat next to her pillow. She smiled at it, before looking up at Roxas.

"Roxas?" she muttered softly. Roxas though he saw a flash of confusion cross her face, but it was instantly gone. He grinned at seeing her awake though, putting the book down and taking her hand.

"You're awake! Finally!" he said. Aurora blinked up at him in confusion.

"Yeah… wait, how long have I been out?" she asked.

"Two days. It seems those Nobodies really did a number on you," Roxas said.

"Oh…" She looked away, only to see her two textbooks sitting on the nightstand.

"What were you…?"

"I read to you while you were asleep," Roxas said with a smile. Aurora smiled back at that, fully sitting up and taking them.

"They must have been pretty boring…" she said. Roxas hesitated before chuckling with a nod.

"Yeah, they were," he admitted. Aurora laughed, hugging the books to her chest.

"Well, thank you."

"Of course! Let me go tell the other's you're awake. Demyx has been beside himself this whole time," Roxas said as he left. Aurora sighed, watching the door close behind him.

The doorknob was different now. There was no keyhole on this side.

…

 _~Day 156~_

Once they were sure she was fully recovered, Saïx sent Aurora to Castle Oblivion with Axel again. Fiddling with the pink ribbon that was now tied around the strap of her bag, she decided to cooperate with Axel this time. He was definitely a little wary of her magic, but when she showed no sign of attacking him, he relaxed.

"So, you and Demyx are brother and sister?" Axel finally asked as they walked through the blindingly white halls after a while of silence. Aurora looked over, before nodding.

"Yeah. Er… how has he been?" Aurora asked. Axel glanced at her before looking up thoughtfully.

"Well, alright, I guess. I dunno, I don't really talk to him much. He's kind of a wimp when it comes to fighting, but he can play some cool tunes on that Sitar of his," Axel replied. Aurora giggled at that.

"That figures. Mom and Dad have taught us music from such a young age… Edym wanted to become a rock star, one day," she admitted.

"Edym? Was that his name before he lost his heart?" Axel asked. Aurora nodded.

"Yeah."

They fell quiet for a moment, before Aurora glanced sideways at the ginger. "Hey, Axel… why did his name change?" she asked.

"Well, when a Somebody becomes a Nobody, they earn a new name. Probably because something pretty substantial about them has changed," Axel explained. Aurora frowned slightly at that.

"Really? Because Edym seems like the same old dork. The only difference is, he plays a sitar instead of a guitar now…" Aurora replied. Axel snorted.

"You're really nice to him, you know that?" Axel laughed.

"Oh, like you don't tease your friends," Aurora replied, shaking her head. She then sighed, closing her eyes as she thought of her brother.

That's when she saw it. Surrounded by darkness, a faint light glowed. It was very dim, and it flickered every now and again. That's when she realized the faint heat she's felt under her skin wasn't from the fire wielder next to her, but the faint light she was sensing from nearby.

"Aurora?" Axel asked, putting a hand on her shoulder, bringing her back to reality. Her eyes snapped open, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. She griped the strap of her bag, clutching the ribbon. "Did you sense something?"

"Uh…" Aurora stalled.

"Please, Aurora. If you did, let's go find it. Once we do… Xemnas is sure to let you go."

 _Xemnas is sure to let you go._ Those words echoed in her mind. It was tempting.

She knew what she had to do.

"I did. Come on!" Aurora said, taking off down the hall. Axel nodded, following her.

 _(They'll never find it. Not if I lead them away from it.)_ Aurora thought, leading Axel through the castle, and as far away from the spot where she sensed that light as she could. The warmth from under her skin faded as she continued forward.

In the end, of course, they didn't find it. Axel promised they'd try again next time, and took her back to her room.

…

 _~Day 172~_

Axel didn't take her to Castle Oblivion today, so Aurora spent her day rereading her textbooks again, then playing her Nintendo DS.

"Damn," she muttered as she lost against the final boss of her game (again). She then looked up at the moon, realizing that Roxas was later with her dinner.

That wasn't like him. _(Maybe Saïx has him doing a late mission or something?)_ she thought. In the twenty-three days she'd been here (yes, she was keeping track), Aurora had learned a lot about the Organization from Roxas. Xemnas was the leader, Saïx gave out the missions, and their ultimate goal was to complete Kingdom Hearts so that they can regain hearts and become whole again.

There used to be, at one time, fourteen members. Five of them had been eliminated at Castle Oblivion, however, though Roxas didn't know the cause. Axel seemed to, but he was unwilling to talk about it. Axel had been there too, though, and as the lone survivor, Aurora had suggested that he was dealing with Survivor's Guilt. Roxas agreed.

Roxas had no idea what Aurora's purpose there was.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, bringing Aurora's train of thought to a halt. The door opened to reveal Roxas, holding her tray of food. Rather than a smile, however, he had a worried frown on his face.

"Hey, Roxas, is everything okay?" Aurora asked. He carefully set the tray down on her desk.

"Sorry for being late," he said softly, not looking up. "Xion… failed her mission last night, and now she won't wake up."

Aurora knew who Xion was, though she hadn't actually met the girl. She was the fourteenth member of the Organization, and Axel and Roxas's best friend.

"Oh, no," Aurora muttered, standing. She walked over, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm… so sorry," she said.

"It's alright. I'm sure she'll wake up soon." Roxas was quiet for a moment. "I'm just… so _tired_ of Saïx treating her like an _object_!" he suddenly exploded. Aurora jumped at that, surprised. "He's so down on her. I just don't get it!" Roxas complained.

"I don't know," Aurora said. Roxas sighed.

"Sorry for dumping this on you…"

"It's alright. I'm here if you need to talk," Aurora offered, before smiling. "It's not like I'm going anywhere," she added. Roxas chuckled at that, before giving her a worried look.

"They're holding you captive, aren't they? The higher ups. That why you tried to escape, and why Demyx has been so… yeah…" Roxas trailed off, looking away with a guilty expression. Aurora bit her lip.

"Yeah, they are," she admitted. "But… if they hadn't kidnapped me, I'd have never seen Edym again." Roxas looked up in confusion. "Demyx," Aurora said. "Edym is his real name. And… I'd have never met you," she added with a smile. Roxas smiled back, though she could still see guilt in his eyes. Aurora gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Don't worry about it. They just need my ability to find something, that's all."

"Well… alright," Roxas conceded. Aurora nodded with a smile.

"Now, why don't you go see Xion. I know you're itching to visit her," she said. Roxas chuckled.

"Alright," he said, leaving. Once the door closed, Aurora sighed softly.

( _Poor Roxas. It seems like he's going through so much…)_

…

The next few days, when Roxas would visit Aurora, he talked more and more about his friendship with Axel and Xion, and how those three would sit on the bell tower of Twilight Town and eat ice cream together after their missions.

"Maybe, one day, you can come with us," Roxas said one day. "Once Xion wakes up, of course."

"That sounds nice," Aurora said with a smile.

"I'll talk to Axel. Promise."

…

 _~Day 193~_

Twenty-one days. That's how long Xion slept. But once she woke up, her, Axel, and Roxas continued their missions and eating ice cream together.

Axel mentioned that Roxas asked about Aurora joining them on the bell tower one day. Axel, of course, couldn't agree. Xemnas would throw a fit. Aurora wasn't mad at the red-head. She understood.

…

 **A/N:** Ta-da! I know it was a bit of a slow chapter, but important none-the-less.

The next chapter picks up just as the game did around this point!


	12. A Taste of Freedom

**A/N:** Alright, last chapter didn't have any of the Days cut scenes, but this one is SATURATED in them. Also, Aurora finally gets to meet Xion! They don't interact all too much, since it doesn't fit with the story, but she finally gets to meet her, all the same!

Alright, enough out of me. ONWARD!

…

Chapter Twelve: A Taste of Freedom

 _~Day 255~_

"Mr. Wright… how are you holding up?" Apollo asked as he came into the Wright Anything Agency. Phoenix looked up from the papers he was studying. There were dark bags under his eyes, a clear sign that he hasn't slept in a while.

That was understandable. After all, Aurora had been missing for almost three and a half months now. Phoenix's aunt and uncle had finally went home last week, though they called every day for updates.

Trucy continued to search when she wasn't practicing her magic, and she kept a smile on her face for Phoenix's benefit, but both Apollo and Athena could see/hear how much Aurora's disappearance was tearing her apart.

Her disappearance even hurt the two of them a lot, but they tried hard not to show it. For the Wrights' sakes.

"I'm alright, Apollo," Phoenix muttered, returning to his work. Just then, there was a knock on the office door, and Detective Gumshoe, the detective who had been in charge of Aurora's missing person's case, stepped in. Phoenix was immediately on his feet, his chair skittering backwards.

"Any news?" he demanded.

"Er…" Gumshoe winced slightly, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm… sorry, pal. I actually came to tell you… that we're closing the case."

"What?" Phoenix asked, his shoulders slumping. Gumshoe nodded.

"Yeah. It's policy to do so after eighty days. It's been over a hundred. I just… kept pushing it, until the chief stepped in," Gumshoe explained, looking down.

"Right… well… thanks anyway, Detective," Phoenix said softly. "I appreciate it."

"I'm sorry," Gumshoe said sincerely, before stepping out. Phoenix sighed softly, retrieving his chair and picking up the phone.

"Mr. Wright?" Apollo asked. Phoenix looked up at him.

"I have to call her parents."

…

Axel and Aurora were in Castle Oblivion again. Aurora had the sneaking suspicion that Axel knew she was misleading him, but he didn't seem to care. In fact, today, they weren't even searching. Axel had been tasked with clearing out the Organization's stuff from the castle.

Aurora was only sent along just in case she did sense something.

Suddenly, there was a faint echo through the castle, as though the front door was being opened. Both Axel and Aurora looked up, before glancing at each other.

"Come on," he said, leading the way as they quickly made their way to the entrance hall.

A girl, in an Organization cloak, was kneeling on the floor, her eyes closed tightly as she held her head, her pale blond hair falling over her right shoulder. She gasped and looked up, spotting Axel and Aurora walk towards her.

"Axel… what are you doing here…?" she asked.

"We're just here on orders, that's all," Axel replied, slowing to a stop. Aurora stopped a few feet back as the girl's wide, blue eyes flickered from Axel, to Aurora, then back. "There's nothing for you to see here."

Aurora was surprised at how… disconnected Axel's voice sounded. Especially at the girl's reply.

"Lies! This is the place I come from. I just know it," she said. Aurora's eyes widened slightly as she looked around.

Castle Oblivion was empty, devoid of human life. If this girl really was from here… that was really, really sad.

"What about your mission?" Axel suddenly asked. The girl looked down, not answering him. "Don't be selfish."

"Or else they'll turn me into a Dusk?" the girl asked coldly.

"They'll do worse then turn you into a Dusk," Axel said as he walked closer. Aurora shivered. Roxas had explained what Lesser Nobodies, and especially Dusks, were. She couldn't imagine a fate like that thrust onto anyone. "They'll just destroy you." Axel leaned forward, offering the girl his hand.

She looked at it for a moment before slowly pushing herself to her feet, not accepting his help. "And is that because I'm useless?"

Axel stood up straight, shaking his head. "That's not it," he said. Aurora could hear his emotions cracking through his cold voice. The girl didn't reply, only proceeded to walk past Axel. He grabbed her arm, pulling her to a stop.

"Xion, go home."

 _(Wait! THAT's Xion!?)_ Aurora thought. _(I thought her, Axel, and Roxas were all supposed to be best friends… best friends don't talk to each other like these two have been… what's going on here?)_

"I'm remembering things. I have memories of back when I was a human," Xion admitted, her voice a little shaky.

"Well, stop remembering. Nothing good will come of it," Axel said. Xion turned to face him, yanking her arm out of his grip.

"I have dreams every night. And you're in those dreams, Axel!" she said, sounding on the verge of tears.

"Then they sure aren't memories. How could I be a part of your past?" Axel demanded. He looked away. "They're just dreams, that's all."

"You can't fool me," Xion snapped. "We've met before, Axel, right here in this castle!"

"No, we have not." Axel leaned forward to Xion's eye level, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Let's go home, Xion. Don't keep Roxas waiting."

 _(Okay, that was a low blow!)_ Aurora thought, finding herself getting angry with Axel.

Xion looked up from where she had been studying her shoes. "Please, Axel… you've got to help me!" she pleaded. "I need to know who I am."

Axel didn't reply, so Xion broke free of his grasp and ran towards the doors.

"Stop!" Axel called. "Stay out of there, Xion!"

The girl didn't listen, so Axel turned to Aurora.

"You know what those rooms are like. If someone who is missing their memories, like Xion, goes in there, I don't know what it'll do to her. And she just won't listen to me," he said. There was real concern in his voice, bringing Aurora around to trust him again.

"Right," she said, running after the girl. Xion reached the doors and pushed them open before Aurora got close though, and a blinding light poured out of it.

"Xion, wait!" Aurora called, just as she reached the steps. Xion turned to her.

"I'm sorry," she said, holding out her hand towards Aurora. The next thing Aurora knew, she dropped onto her bed.

"Wh-what!?" she gasped, looking up in time to see a dark portal over her bed closing.

 _(Xion…)_

…

 _~Day 256~_

Whatever happened to Xion in that castle, it caused her to leave the Organization. Aurora found that out when Roxas brought her food the next day. In the days that followed, he was solemn. Much quieter than normal.

Apparently, Xemnas didn't want them looking for her.

…

 _~Day 276~_

Riku breathed in the sea-scented air deeply. Destiny Islands. His home. At least, before he had allowed them to be swallowed by darkness, all for his own curiosity. He came here sometimes, when he needed to get away from everything. It was the one place he felt he could relax, so long as he didn't run into any of the friend he had just… thrown away.

His relaxation was cut short, however, when he sensed something going on. With a sigh, he went to check it out.

It was on the play island, where the Paopu tree stood, that Riku found Xion unconscious. He carefully rolled her over, supporting her head and neck.

"Who am I? What am I… here for?" she muttered weakly.

Riku frowned slightly in sympathy, reaching up and brushing her black bangs away from her eyes. He studied her face again, shock rolling through him at how much she looked like Kairi… and Naminé.

He thought back to the last time he met with the memory witch. It had been in the mansion of Twilight Town, in the white room.

" _So we meet again," she said, sitting across from him at the table. The curtain that covered the window blew slightly in the breeze._

" _You made me a promise," Riku reminded her._

" _I remember," Naminé said. "It was to look after Sora." She looked down at the sketchbook in front of her. On it was a crayon drawing of three people – a blond, a ginger, and a girl with black hair. "I'm sorry… I'm not sure I've kept that promise very well," she admitted._

" _Can you tell me what's happening?" Riku asked, wanting to know how he could help his friend._

" _Some of Sora's memories are missing."_

" _How could that be?"_

" _Sora's memories are escaping through Sora's Nobody into a third person," Naminé explained. "And now they're starting to become a part of her."_

 _Riku looked down for a moment, thinking that through, before he looked up again. "Isn't there a way to bring back just Sora's memories?"_

" _If they're still separate… then I think I can take out fragments of it," Naminé replied. "But if her memories and Sora's memory fragments are completely weaved together…" She picked up the sketchbook, looking at the picture, "I would need to untangle them from each other and that would take more time. Which means it would take even longer before Sora can wake up again." She put the book down and looked up at Riku. "And DiZ wouldn't tolerate that."_

(DiZ… what's your angle on Sora…?) _Riku thought. "So what can you do?"_

" _If I just jump in and rearrange her memory… then Sora might wake up only to find out that nobody remembers him anymore."_

 _Horror rolled through Riku at the thought. He remembered Sora only because he was one of the few memories Naminé was allowed to let him keep during his time in Castle Oblivion… but even he had holes in his memory. For Sora to wake up, and find that his other friends don't remember him… that Kairi doesn't remember him… Riku didn't know if Sora could handle that._

" _That's a risk I just can't take," Naminé said, sharing Riku's thoughts. "It's too late either way. Sora's awakening has already been delayed. Sora's Nobody and the one that's absorbing his memory… None of us imagined that they would fight so hard to become their own people."_

(Is it really that surprising? Especially after that replica of me?) _Riku thought in disgust._

" _Unfortunately, the only real solution… if for them both to go away."_

(Go… away…?)

" _Did you know her face was blank at first?" Naminé continued. Riku looked at her curiously. "But now… there is a face that is clearly visible. I think that's proof that she has entered Sora's memories. Sora's memories, Sora's Nobody's memories, and her memories… they're all a jumbled mess now. And to put them back into one…" she trailed off. Riku could almost feel her sadness. "I'm afraid there's no other way."_

(If that's the case, then someone has to do it.)

" _Alright," Riku said with a nod._

Now, he was kneeling in the sand, supporting the girl he had to make _go away._

Her eyes suddenly opened, and she looked up at Riku.

"Are you…" she began.

"Riku," he replied. "Sora's friend."

"Sora?" she asked, as though the name was familiar. Riku knew it would be. She sat up. "You know Sora?"

"Yeah," Riku said, standing and offering her a hand. She accepted his help.

"Thank you," she said, once she was on her feet. Guilt rolled through Riku. "You saved me, but I don't know why…" she hesitated, and Riku looked at her through the blindfold, "you did."

"I guess… I just felt like it," he said, beginning to walk away. After that, he couldn't force her to go away, despite the chance he was very clearly given.

"Riku, please…" she said. Riku came to a halt. "Tell me more… about Sora and that girl he's always with."

"You mean Kairi," Riku said.

"Kairi…" she repeated, putting a hand to her head. "That's right. She's the one who looks so much like me." Riku turned, going back over to the girl.

"To Sora, she's someone very special," he said.

"It's just… I remember things about the two of them," Xion said, pacing over to a tree. "But I'm nothing more than a puppet—something that somebody created." She leaned against the tree, looking down. "So why would I have… their memories?"

She suddenly turned to Riku. "Do you know where Sora is now?" she asked.

"That secret stays with me," Riku said, protectiveness radiating from his voice. Xion looked down again.

"Why's that?"

"Xion…" Riku started, seeing a different path open up before him. "Your memories… they really belong to Sora." Xion's head snapped up, and she turned to look at him.

"So you mean… I'm like a part of him?" she asked. Riku walked over to her.

"When his memories were scattered, some of them… found their way inside you. Now. Sora has been put to sleep so that we can piece together his memory. Except…" he trailed off.

"You can', because part of it is inside of me," Xion finished. "That means… he can't wake up."

"Yeah," Riku said. "You got it. But, if you go with me to Sora right now, we could give the memories inside you back to him."

"So," Xion said, looking up at Riku. "Do you hate me for taking your friend away from you?" she asked, no small amount of irony in her voice.

"Nah," Riku said, looking to the side. "I guess… I'm just sad."

Xion gasped softly, her eyes widening.

"I'm sorry, but… I can't go with you. It's my friends—they need me. And I need them, too," she said.

 _(You really are so much like Sora…)_ Riku thought sadly, before putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him again.

"Maybe… you should take some time to think about it," Riku said. "Figure out who really needs you more. And where you belong."

"How will I know where I belong, truly?" Xion asked, looking up at him with trusting, pleading eyes before she dropped her head, her hair almost brushing Riku's chest. "I'm not sure I can promise you I'll come up with the right answer."

"Well, the answer you come up with can't just be right for you," Riku said. "It has to be the one that works best for everybody. You and your friends, and everyone else."

He dropped his hand and walked away, leaving the girl to her thoughts.

"I'll try. Thank you, Riku," he heard as he slipped through a dark portal.

…

 _~Day 296~_

Axel hadn't take Aurora back to the Castle since they met Xion there. In fact, Aurora had the sinking feeling that they weren't going back, since they had been cleaning the Organization stuff out of there.

It was sad. Aurora didn't realize how much she actually looked forward to going to the castle. It meant activity, a change in scenery, and another chance of Riku, Sora, or _someone_ finding her and helping her escape.

What made it worse was the fact that she could recite any of her textbooks word for word without looking at them, and the room had no outlets for her to charge her game system, which had died a while ago.

In short, she was _bored._

Aurora laid back in bed, pulling her spiky ponytail out. In the time she'd been here, it had grown to about shoulder length. With nothing better to do, Aurora decided to play with her hair.

…

Axel and Roxas met at the Twilight Town bell tower.

"It's no use," Roxas sighed as they walked to their normal spot overlooking the town.

"You sure you're not forgetting some place?" Axel asked.

"I've been everywhere I know how to get to," Roxas replied in exasperation.

"Alright…"

Axel sat, looking out, while Roxas stayed standing.

"The only place I haven't been to is Castle Oblivion," he said, looking at Axel pointedly. Axel gasped softly, before turning to look at his friend.

"It was just the other day that Xion was asking you what the place was like. And the day before she disappeared, you said she was put on an important mission. Remember?" Roxas asked. Axel looked away, thinking back.

 _(Aurora didn't tell him we met Xion in the castle then…)_ he thought.

"Yeah… but there's nothing there anymore," Axel told him.

"Well, Xion might be there," Roxas countered.

Axel sighed and thought for a moment, before nodding to himself, making a decision.

"Apparently… Xion comes from Castle Oblivion," he confessed.

"What?"

"That's probably why she was asking about the place."

"I had no idea…" Roxas said.

"Me neither," Axel said, looking back up at the boy before looking forward. "I only found out a little while ago.

"Castle Oblivion…" Roxas mused. "Xion…" He suddenly looked at Axel. "Why have they been sending Aurora to Castle Oblivion with you?" he asked. Again, Axel shook his head.

"I think they believed there to be something more in the Castle, and Aurora's ability would be able to find it. Thing is… we never did. The last time was to clean out the Organization's stuff," Axel explained.

"Oh…" Roxas finally sat on the edge next to Axel. "We should bring Aurora along tomorrow then. She's explained her ability to me, and even said that she could sense us. She might be able to help us find Xion in such a big place, especially one she's been there quite a few times."

"Hmm… Maybe," Axel said, nodding once more.

…

Roxas knocked, then entered Aurora's room, carrying a tray of food. Aurora sat up, and Roxas stopped in surprise.

"You changed your hair," he said. Rather than the full ponytail, only half was pulled back. The rest brushed at her shoulders. She shrugged.

"I was bored. You like it?" she asked. Roxas looked at her for a moment before smiling slightly.

"I guess. It makes you look older," he said. Aurora laughed at that as Roxas set the tray down on the desk.

"Thanks."

"Mhm. Hey… do you mind coming with me and Axel to search Castle Oblivion for Xion?" he asked. Aurora looked over as she stood.

"Are you kidding me? Anything to get out of this room. I'm going crazy with boredom," she said. Roxas smiled weakly.

"Alright. I'll see you in the morning then. Get plenty of sleep!" he said. Aurora nodded as the boy walked out.

…

 _~Day 297~_

Roxas opened the door to the castle eagerly, walking ahead of Aurora and Axel. Aurora was trying to push her focus past Axel and Roxas, attempting to sense past them.

Other than that tiny, flickering speck of light, there was nothing. The castle was empty.

"So, this is Castle Oblivion…" Roxas said, looking around. Axel, on the other hand, was watching Roxas closely.

Suddenly, Roxas gasped. Aurora's attention snapped to him.

"Roxas!?" Axel called. Roxas swayed slightly, a hand to his head. Aurora rushed towards him, in case he fell. The young boy continued forward stubbornly, gasping every now and again.

"My… my head!" he whined, squinting at the pain. He put his other hand to his head, closing his eyes. Axel ran forward as well, standing right behind the boy, next to Aurora and holding a hand out, just in case.

"Easy, man! Let's retreat for now," he said.

"Yeah, we can—" Aurora began, only to get cut off.

"I'm fine!" Roxas gasped in a voice that was anything but fine, dropping his hands and looking up. Aurora could see that he was still squinting. "We have to… find Xion…"

He cried out, dropping to his knees and grabbed his head again, thrashing at the pain. Aurora and Axel shared horrified looks. "Wh-What's happening?" Roxas gasped.

"Roxas!" Axel called, dropping down on one knee next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. Aurora was on Roxas's other side, a hand on his back, her eyes huge with worry. The balance of his heart, which was pretty equal, was actually _shifting_ between equal and more light. She'd never sensed anything like it before.

Roxas stopped thrashing and slowly lifted his head.

"So much… rushing into… my head…" Roxas muttered, before gasping again. Axel shook his head slightly, wrapping his arm tightly around the boy and pulling him up. Aurora helped, taking Roxas's arm and pulling it over her shoulder. Roxas closed his eyes, shaking his head side to side.

"Let get out of here for now!" Axel said. Aurora nodded in agreement, helping Axel support the struggling Roxas forward, towards a dark portal that Axel summoned.

"No, wait!" Roxas pleaded. "There's… something… I can… almost…" at the last word, he grew limp between the two of them.

Just before they stepped through the portal, a flare of heat seared across Aurora's skin as that small, flickering light flashed before her eyes.

Then they were gone.

They were in a small, quant town that seemed to be in the mountains, if the hills were any indication. Aurora was looking around, drinking in the sight of so many _colors_ , as Axel took Roxas and carefully lowered him to the ground.

A few minutes later, Roxas suddenly shot up. "Riku!" he cried. Aurora froze, staring at him, her hand jumping up to the star locket on her choker. That one name was like a bullet to her heart.

Roxas gasped, then looked down. Axel stared at him, as though unsure of what to do. Finally, he did the obvious.

"Are you alright?" he demanded. Aurora swallowed the emotional pain that had flared up, and looked at Roxas, wondering the same. The boy finally looked up at the two of them.

"What… happened to me?" he asked, as though he didn't remember yelling out the name he just did.

"You collapsed just as we entered the castle," Aurora replied, while Axel stood up straight, messing with his hair.

"Don't you remember?" the ginger asked.

"I only remember going inside," Roxas admitted, looking down for a moment, before pushing himself to his feet. Aurora reached forward, ready to steady him if he needed it.

"Just take it easy for now," Axel pleaded.

"I'm fine. Let's go back to Castle Oblivion," Roxas demanded.

"Don't push yourself, man," Axel said softly.

"It's no use anyway. I didn't sense… anything there," Aurora said. "Which means, Xion isn't there."

Aurora suddenly gasped as a barrage of images flashed before her eyes.

 _A path in an open field, leading to dawn._

 _A warm sunset, casting cool shadows – equal amounts of light and dark._

 _A_ mirror image _of the sunset, as though something was reflecting the light and shadows of the previous heart._

"Who's there?" Axel demanded suddenly, snapping Aurora out of the images. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest as she looked up, spotting two cloaked figures in hoods.

"R-Riku?" Aurora called weakly. The taller figure started slightly.

"Xion?" Roxas asked, looking at the shorter figure, as Axel gasped. The shorter one backed away slightly, before turning away completely, leaving through a dark portal. "Xion, wait!" Roxas cried, running forward. The taller figure moved in front of the portal, blocking Roxas's path.

The mirror image disappeared, leaving the path in the field.

"Riku, it really is you!" Aurora cried, stepping forward. Axel hesitated, then grabbed her arm, hating himself for it. The taller figure stiffened, but before he could do anything, Axel pulled Aurora back.

"I'm-" he started softly, before hesitating again. Suddenly, a dark portal opened beneath Aurora, dropping her through.

"No!" she distantly heard Riku yell. Aurora landed on her bed, back at The Castle That Never Was, and the portal vanished.

So close. She had been so close to freedom, only to have it yanked away again, this time by someone she had perceived as a friend. Aurora clenched her teeth together as tears of anger and frustration pooled in the corners of her eyes, and she screamed out her frustration, sadness… and betrayal.

…

Riku couldn't believe it. Aurora was standing right in front of him. His heart thudded as he stared at her from underneath his hood, standing just behind Xion.

"R-Riku?" Aurora called. Riku gripped the locket in his pocket, and he realized he had a choice to make – keep Xion from Roxas and Axel so that she can go to Sora and wake him up… or rescue Aurora.

It was an impossible decision.

Thankfully, Xion made it easier. She turned away, vanishing through a dark portal.

"Xion, wait!" Roxas cried, starting forward. Riku stepped between him and the portal, blocking his path.

"Riku! It really is you!" Aurora cried, her voice a spectrum of emotion. Relief, happiness, surprise… and _love._ She started forward, only for Axel to grab her arm and pull her back. Aurora looked back at him in confusion. Riku saw Axel tell her something, and a dark portal suddenly opened under her feet. She cried out as she dropped through.

"No!" Riku yelled, stepping forward as the portal closed. He ground his teeth together, shooting a blast of Dark Firga at the ginger. It hit him dead in the chest, throwing him backwards.

"Axel!" Roxas cried. He then turned to Riku. "Who are you?" he demanded. Riku simply looked at him for a moment before turning, walking away.

"Hey!" Roxas yelled, chasing after him.

"Roxas, wait!" Axel yelled, pushing himself up with a wince.

…

The imposter lead Roxas and Axel all throughout Twilight Town, always staying just two steps ahead of him, until the blond finally cornered him in the tunnels. So he cheated.

He stepped through a dark portal, making it vanish before Roxas and Axel could catch up.

"I thought the imposter was sighted in Castle Oblivion," Axel said.

"Xion…" Roxas muttered.

"No way that was Xion!" Axel said.

"The one who ran away first was Xion," Roxas specified. "But… why run?"

…

Xion watched the conversation from around the corner, before turning to the second hooded figure, Riku. He pulled his hood off.

"You want to go back?" he asked. His voice was a little more cutting then he meant it – he was still angry at Axel for making taking Aurora away from him again.

Xion didn't answer. She just turned and looked at them from around the corner again. She then looked up at Riku.

"That girl, Aurora. She called out to you. Who is she?" she asked. "I have… no memory of her."

"That's because Sora and Kairi ever met her," Riku explained. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the star locket and studying it. "I met her on my own adventures, and she became someone… very close to me. Just as Kairi is to Sora."

"And the Organization is holding her captive," Xion murmured.

"Right. Though… to what end, I'm not sure." Riku gripped the locket tightly. "I was so close to saving her today… if only I had reacted quicker."

"I'm sorry," Xion said. Riku loosened his grip on the locket and put it back in his pocket, shaking his head.

"Don't be."

…

By the time Roxas brought her food today, Aurora had cried herself out. She sat in the corner, her knees drawn to her chest, her arms wrapped tightly around the mud stained dog. Her brown eyes snapped to the door when it opened, dark with anger. Roxas stuttered to a halt, his greeting dying on his lips.

"A-Aurora…?" he asked. She looked away, tightening her arms around the dog, her knees drawing up more. Roxas put the tray on the desk and walked over, hesitantly putting a hand on her shoulder. Suddenly, he remembered earlier.

Her elation at the cloaked figure – _(What had she called him?)_ – then Axel sending her back to the castle before she could reach him.

It hit him like a brick. She knew that figure, and believed he could rescue her. She was so close to freedom… and Axel took that away from her. She probably thought Roxas was in on it.

"Aurora, I'm sorry," he said softly, sitting on the edge of her bed. Aurora didn't look at him. "I don't know why Axel did it. If… if I had been thinking straight, I would have stopped him," Roxas said.

"Would you? Would you've really?" Aurora asked in a cutting voice, finally looking at him. Roxas nodded.

"In a heartbeat," he said sincerely. Aurora studied him for a moment longer before looking down, her posture loosening. As the stuffed animal was lowered, Roxas saw that the star locket on her choker was missing.

"Where-?" he asked, pointing. Aurora opened her hand, showing him where she held it. Even Roxas could tell she had been gripping it tightly from the indents the points had dug into her palm. The two were quiet for a moment, before Aurora looked up at Roxas.

"Why would Axel do that, though? I thought we were friends…"

Roxas shook his head.

"I don't know. But I'll ask," he said.

…

Axel laid back on his bed, studying his hand.

He knew Aurora was mad at him. He really didn't blame her either, especially since he did consider her a friend.

The issue was, earlier… he stopped her from escaping to save himself and Roxas. They'd be turned to Dusks for sure, especially since Aurora wasn't supposed to leave her room. But then he hesitated. He seriously thought about letting her go.

Until that dark portal appeared.

"I didn't make that portal…" Axel muttered. "So… _who did?"_

…

 _~Day 299~_

Aurora didn't know how, but Xion had been captured and brought back to the castle. From what she could gather from Roxas, Aurora herself hadn't been the only friend Axel had betrayed that week. Even the ever devoted Roxas was furious with him, and that was saying something.

Because of everything that had happened, Roxas forgot to ask Axel why he had sent Aurora back, but Aurora didn't blame him.

…

 **A/N:** FINALLY! I really thought about calling this chapter "Everyone gets mad at Axel," buuuuuuut… I didn't think that'd be a good idea.

So, lots of action, and anger and so on. Aurora was so close to freedom and Riku, only to have it ripped away from her once more! Well, one more chapter!

Yes, this story will have thirteen chapters. No, that was not planned. It just… sorta worked out like that, haha.


	13. Resolve

**A/N:** Alright guys, last chapter of the _Turnabout Hearts – Days_. This will also be the last time we see the crew at the Wright Anything Agency for a while.

Review Reply to Gamergirl: Oh, things heat up in this chapter! It really is too bad she can't get a message to them, but what would she say? Riku told her the other worlds are a secret, so… Yeah, I actually felt cruel doing that, but I wanted her to be there when Roxas called for Riku… then I realized I had to do something to keep her from being rescued too early. You'll see in this chapter!

Well, nothing left here, so let's go!

…

Chapter Thirteen: Resolve

 _~Day 352~_

Two hundred and three days. That's how long Aurora had been missing. The members of the Agency never forgot her, of course, and they continued to keep an eye out for her, but their active searches grew less frequent.

Soon, life began to flow back into the agency, until finally, when Trucy got signed onto her first big venue for her magic act, Phoenix resolved to move on with his life.

One day, he knew, the truth of what happened to her and her brother would be revealed. Until then, neither Aurora or Edym would want those left behind to put their lives on hold for them.

It was bad enough Hank and Gwen, their parents, already had.

…

That day, so long ago, where Aurora got that small taste of freedom, felt like a dream. Even now, thinking back to it, the colors of her memory had dulled, the scent of fresh air stale.

Since then, she hadn't stepped foot outside of her room in The Castle That Never Was, but that didn't mean she was stationary either.

 _(One day, I will get out of here. I don't know when, or how, but I will.)_

Aurora told herself this everyday as she jogged in place, did sit-ups and pushups, and generally kept herself in shape. It became a mantra, and it was the only thing keeping her sane in this lonely place.

…

Naminé stood before the sleeping pod, watching the boy inside of it in worry.

"Sora…" she said, gripping her hands together in front of her.

"It appears we've come to a standstill," DiZ said as he walked up behind the girl, his red cloak flowing with each step. His own orange eyes, corrupted from the darkness he had once resided in, were trained on the sleeping pod as well. Naminé glanced over her shoulder at him, before looking back up at Sora.

"Yes."

"This has gone on long enough. Riku," DiZ turned to the third awake occupant of the room. Riku lifted his head slightly to look at the man through the blindfold. "I think you know what needs to be done."

"Right," was all Riku could say, before he turned, leaving the room.

…

 _~Day 353~_

Axel, Xigbar, and Xion were all sent together on a mission. Axel thought it was an odd grouping, and he had a horrible feeling about the mission. It was to Wonderland, of all places.

That feeling bloomed into full blown panic when Xion suddenly turned on them, summoning her Keyblade.

"Xion, what are you doing?" Axel demanded. The girl glanced at him, before suddenly rushing forward, taking a swing. Both jumped back, and Xigbar actually _laughed_.

"What a blast from the past," he said. Axel had no clue what he was talking about. Instead, he looked at the girl.

"Xion, stop!" he yelled. _(Wha? Her hood… why is it back up?)_

Xigbar summoned his arrow guns, glaring at the girl.

"Of all the faces… Why do I look at her and see yours?" he demanded. "Why is it that you always have to glare at me like that?"

"Shut up!" Xion yelled, rushing forward, before suddenly disappearing.

"Huh?" Xigbar gasped, and both he and Axel looked around for the girl.

She suddenly appeared right in front of him.

"Yah!" she yelled with an upward slash of her Keyblade. It slammed into Xigbar, throwing him back and making his weapons disappear. She walked over to him, making sure he was down, and de-summoned the Keyblade, turning to her friend.

"I'm sorry, Axel," she said.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Please… let me go," she said. For a second, instead of Xion, Aurora was standing in front of him, her brown eyes pleading. Axel thought back to how he had stopped the other girl, and she had been recaptured. Now, Xion was asking the same of him.

"I have to do this, or else—" Xion paused. "Just look." She pulled her hood down, and Axel gasped, his eyes widening. She then pulled the hood back up and looked at him.

"Please, Axel. You have to take care of Roxas."

"But…" Axel looked away, "you'd be…"

"Please!"

Axel turned to face her a moment more, then motioned with his head for her to leave.

"Thank you, Axel," she said, before running away, through a dark portal.

Axel knew he was going to catch hell for this, especially as he saw Xigbar staring at him from where he laid on the ground.

…

 _~Day 354~_

Riku slowly walked through the woods of Twilight Town, practicing with his dark abilities. He hated how his body changed when he would tap into them, but he also understood that they, and the man who represented them, were a deeply integrated part of him now. And he accepted it.

He knew he would need this power soon, and while DiZ was getting impatient, DiZ himself understood the importance of Riku practicing control with them.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him and froze. He pulled the hood up and turned to face the new comer, surprised to see King Mickey walking towards him.

The King stopped, looking up at him. Knowing he couldn't hide from Mickey forever, Riku reached up and pulled his hood down. The King gasped for a moment, before jumping backwards, summoning his Keyblade – the Realm of Darkness's version of Kingdom Key. Riku looked at him for a moment before pulling the blindfold from his pocket and replacing it over his eyes. In a swirl of darkness, his face changed from that of Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, to his own.

Mickey gasped in shock, while Riku smoothed it over his eyes and looked up at him with a smile.

"Riku!" Mickey said, de-summoning his Keyblade and running closer.

"Your Majesty," Riku greeted, before remembering that the King wanted him to just call him Mickey.

"Gosh, have I been worried about you!" Mickey fretted. "Where've you been all this time?" he asked.

There were many answers that Riku could have told Mickey, but he decided on the easiest one.

"I've been… searching for a way to conquer the darkness within me, while we wait for Sora to awaken."

"The way you looked—" Mickey started. Riku looked away.

"You don't have to worry about me. I'm getting the hang of keeping the darkness under control," he replied. Mickey nodded as another thought struck him.

"And Sora… Did something go wrong with fixing all of his memories?" he asked.

"There's a reason the Organization's been quiet since our battle at Castle Oblivion," Riku said. "And now I know it's not because a depletion in members has made them weak. Taking Sora's memories apart piece by piece was only the first step in what they were trying to do at Castle Oblivion. And I think they needed more time to fix his memory," he explained.

"You know, you and me were both looking into what the Organization was up to," Mickey began, "but what I saw didn't look like much. Almost like they're trying to buy some time…"

"Right," Riku agreed. "Sora's memories are what they're after." _(So why take Aurora? We're missing… something. But… I need to focus on Sora, for now.)_ "And they needed all this time until now to absorb every piece of it."

"Huh?" Mickey asked.

"The process of putting his memory back together has gone nowhere… They have what's most precious to Sora… his memories of Kairi," Riku said.

"Well, then you have to let me help! Maybe I could get the memories back!" Mickey pleaded.

"I've got that covered, Your Maj—" he cut himself off, remembering yet again. "I mean, Mickey. Instead, I want to ask you for two favors."

"What would those be?" Mickey asked.

"I have to face one of the Organization's members soon. I might not survive the fight. And if I do, it might be because I gave in to the darkness. That means you're the only one who will be there for Sora, Donald, and Goofy—the only one who can guide them when they awaken."

"Riku…" Mickey said, his voice sad.

"Promise me, Mickey. When our friends wake up, you have to be there to help them out," Riku pleaded.

"I promise, Riku," Mickey said, before tipping his head to the side. "And the other favor?"

"Right." Riku reached into his pocket, pulling the locket out. He opened it, looking at the picture. "There's this girl, Aurora. The Organization kidnapped her, though I don't know why. Mickey…" he stepped forward, kneeling and holding the locket out. "The other favor I need to ask… is to save her. And keep her safe. Please," he pleaded. Mickey hesitantly took the locket, studying the picture of Aurora and Riku together, both smiling and looking happy. In fact… the happiest he'd ever seen Riku was in this picture, with this girl.

"She must be someone very special to you," Mickey mused, holding out the locket for Riku to take.

"She is," Riku said, before gently pushing his hand away, pushing Mickey's fingers closed so that the king was gripping the locket. "But if I give into the darkness… well, it was never meant to work between me and her anyway. But… please," Riku pleaded. Mickey looked at the young man in front of him, sadness rolling through him.

He carefully closed the locket and put it in his own pocket.

"Alright, Riku. I promise."

…

 _~Day 355~_

These last few days, the missions Roxas had went on had made no sense. Nothing made sense to him anymore. Nothing at all.

He tried to sort everything out in his head as he laid back on his bed, staring at the ceiling, but it was just becoming more and more of a jumbled mess.

 _(Xion… Replica Program… Xion was a puppet made to replicate my powers—the Keyblade's powers… Aurora was probably kidnapped so that she could monitor this… but I doubt it… When Xion left the Organization, Axel didn't stop her. Like he wanted her to go. Axel's probably known about Xion for some time now, but has kept it from me. And Aurora? Again, I doubt it. If anything… she's a victim in this entire thing.)_

 _(Xion and I are both special Nobodies. Xion was a replica. A puppet.)_ Roxas rolled onto his side, covering his ears and closing his eyes, trying to focus his thoughts. _(What about me? Am I a puppet, too? Xemnas said… Sora was what connects her and me. But who is Sora? And who am I… supposed to be?)_

Roxas finally sat up, getting tired of laying. _(Axel. If he's hiding things from me about Xion and Aurora's purpose here, what could he be hiding about me?)_

Roxas suddenly looked at his door, before pushing himself to stand, exiting his room. After a little bit of searching, he found the ginger in the common room.

"Axel," he said, walking towards him. Axel looked over.

"Hey, Roxas," he greeted. Roxas hesitated for a moment, before looking up at him.

"Did you find Xion, yet?" he asked. Axel looked away slightly.

"You know it isn't gonna be that easy," he said.

"I suppose not," Roxas agreed, looking down. He then looked up again. "Have you known… about Xion this whole time?" he asked.

"No, not the whole time," Axel said, looking up.

"Since when then?"

"Uhhh… I can't exactly remember when." To Roxas, it sounded like just another lie.

"Didn't get it memorized, huh?" Roxas asked, yarning for the simpler days when Axel, Xion, and himself would eat ice cream on the bell tower. He sighed. "Axel… who am I really?" he asked. Axel stared at him, not answering. Roxas looked at his hands, as though studying himself. "I'm special, like Xion, I know that. But the Organization wanted me out of the picture." He clenched his right fist as he said that, narrowing his eyes slightly, before looking up. "Am I right?" _(That's the only way to explain that one "mission.")_

"Yeah…" Axel finally spoke. "They did."

"I guess it's 'cause Xion copied my power, and the Keyblade's powers, and they didn't need me anymore." A thought occurred to Roxas. A thought that hurt, but he had to say it. "And Axel, I guess you felt the same way."

"You're wrong there," Axel immediately replied, turning to fully face Roxas. "You'll always be… my best friend."

"Best friends are supposed to be honest with each other!" Roxas snapped. "Who am I, Axel? Xemnas says me and Xion are connected to each other through Sora. I don't even know a Sora! Am I a puppet like Xion?"

"You're different from Xion," Axel said in a placating voice.

"Then why d-" Roxas began.

"Finding out the truth doesn't always work out for the best," Axel said, cutting him off.

"What makes you so sure about that?" Roxas demanded. "I have the right to know the truth!" Axel gasped softly at that. Roxas had never yelled at him like this before. "How did I even get here?" Roxas continued. "Why am I so special? Where did I learn how to use the Keyblade? I hardly know who I am! What is so wrong with wanting some answers!?"

"Roxas…" Axel said softly. Roxas could see that he wouldn't say anything else.

"I need to know, Axel. Please… who am I?" Roxas pleaded.

"You've just gotta trust me, Roxas," Axel said. Roxas looked down, making his decision.

"I don't. I can't." He turned away, turning his back on the first friend he ever had.

"Roxas…" Axel called, reaching out for him. The boy didn't stop walking.

"Somebody knows where I came from. If I can't get answers here, I'll get them somewhere else," he said darkly. _(And I'm taking Aurora with me. No one deserves to be forced to stay here against their will. Not her, not Xion, and not me.)_

Roxas reached his room, grabbing the only thing that belonged to him, his journal. From it fell the "WINNER" popsicle stick. He picked it up, looking at it. There were so many emotions rolling through him, he didn't know where to start.

"I tried…" he told the popsicle stick. "But I have to find out about myself. There's no reason for me to be here… anymore."

He placed the stick in an envelope and slipped it under Axel's door, before making his way to Aurora's room. He stopped halfway there, spotting the drawers that contained her things that had been confiscated. Opening it, all he found was a black wrist band, with two silver, circular pieces of metal on it. He took it and reached her room, knocked, then entered.

…

Aurora laid back on her bed, twirling the pink ribbon between her fingers, lost in thought. She had given up on her books long ago, having put them back in her book bag. Her shoulder back sat on the bed next to her, the stuffed puppy on top.

She looked up at the knock on her door, only to see Roxas. He looked much more intense than normal.

"Grab your things. We're leaving," he said.

"Wait, huh?" Aurora asked, sitting up and tying the ribbon around her throat. She made sure it hung loosely, so as to not choke her, but the knot itself was tight enough so that she wouldn't lose it. Roxas nodded, tossing the arm band to her. She caught it, and smiled, slipping it onto her arm.

"I'm getting you out of here," he said.

"Alright."

Aurora was immediately up. She swung the shoulder bag on, and stuffed the dog into her book bag, before following Roxas out of the castle.

The two were careful to avoid detection. Aurora tried to ask questions, but Roxas stayed quiet. She got the feeling he was angry. Every now and again, Lesser Nobodies known as Dusks would attack, but Roxas was quick to take them out with his Keyblade. The one time one got behind him, Aurora activated her shield.

" _Water!"_ she called, cloaking the shield in the magical liquid. She threw it hard at the Dusk, which burst and disappeared on contact. Roxas looked back with wide eyes.

"Whoa. Thanks," he said. Aurora nodded with a smile.

"No problem. Come on, let's go," she said. Roxas nodded, continuing forward again.

The two finally got to the entrance hall of the castle, when they ran into someone other than the Lesser Nobodies.

Saïx.

He was standing at the entrance, his arms crossed.

"We don't accept resignations," he said. Aurora's eyes widened as she looked at Roxas. _(He's quitting?)_ "Or tolerate escapees," the man added, looking over at Aurora.

Roxas sidestepped so that he was in front of Aurora.

"I've got nothing to say to you," he said.

"Then let's keep this short and sweet," Saïx agreed, summoning his weapon, a blue, yellow, and white Claymore with spikes on the end. Roxas frowned, summoning his Keyblade. Aurora activated her shield, backing up a little.

Saïx charged forward, swinging his weapon at the two of them.

" _Reflect!_ " Aurora cried, bracing her left arm with her right. A barrier burst to life from the shield, but Saïx's attack hit the shield itself dead center. Aurora cried out as the shock of the impact burst through her arm and up into her shoulder, causing the barrier to shatter and her to get thrown back.

"Aurora!" Roxas called, before lunging at the man. He slashed quickly at him with his Keyblade before jumping back. Rather than try to block the man's counter, he rolled away from the attack. Aurora groaned, pushing herself up and shaking her arm out. It hurt, but just the fact that she could move it meant that there was no serious damage.

"I'm alright," she said. Just then, Saïx jumped back from them. A flash of blue surrounded him, and his hair grew wild, his eyes glowing a full yellow.

He lunged towards the two, twice as fast as before. Aurora and Roxas rolled in opposite directions to avoid him, but Aurora's left right shoulder was suddenly wrenched back. She cried out, looking back.

One of the spike from the Claymore had impaled her shoulder bag. Saïx yanked on it, yanking Aurora back towards him.

"Whoa!" she cried.

"No!" Roxas yelled, before dashing in between them. He sliced the straps with his Keyblade, allowing Aurora to stumble forward. She looked back, staring at the bag.

The bag that contained the picture of her and Edym together when they were younger. That contained the Nintendo DS and the games he had brought her, right before he vanished five years ago. The bag… that he had bought her.

She stumbled to a halt, reaching up and touching the ribbon that she had tied around her neck, thankful that she had taken it off of the bag. She then closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath.

" _Water!"_ she yelled, holding her hands out towards Saïx. A geyser of water shot up from beneath his feet, throwing him into the air. Aurora then looked at her shield.

" _Blizzard!"_ Magical ice cloaked the shield itself, and Aurora dove forward, into the water fountain. It shot her into the air, the water slowly turning to ice from the bottom up as she moved through it, until she was level with Saïx. She jumped up, just as the top froze. Saïx, who's feet and Claymore were still in the water, got trapped. Aurora dropped down towards him, bashing him in the face with her Blizzard cloaked shield, before dropping to the ground.

"Roxas!" she called.

"Got it!" he cried back, jumping into the air.

" _Water!"_ Aurora cast. Another geyser appeared, this time under Roxas. It shot him into the air, and he used an Arial Recovery before attacking Saïx with a strength and ferocity he himself didn't know he had. Finally, he slammed his Keyblade into the man's stomach with enough force to throw him backwards, shattering the ice pillar that trapped him.

Saïx struggled to his feet, the Claymore vanishing from his hand. He then stumbled, barely having the strength to stand, his arm wrapped around his stomach.

"Nngh…. How much longer…" he muttered, before falling to his knees. Roxas de-summoned the Keyblade, and Aurora de-activated her shield. The two of them walked past the weakened man. "Kingdom… Hearts…" Saïx muttered as the two walked away. "Will your strength never be mine?"

As the two walked, Roxas looked over at Aurora.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Aurora nodded, reaching up to grip the strap of her bag… only to find it gone.

 _(Oh. Right.)_

"Yeah," she said softly. "It's just… Edym gave me that bag."

"Oh…"

…

The two finally got out of the Castle, into the Dark City beyond. Aurora looked around, marveling at the difference in it from the Castle. It almost reminded her a little of the cities from back home.

Roxas lead her through it, his features set in determination.

He didn't even look over as they passed Axel, who was leaning against the wall. Aurora couldn't help but glance at the ginger, but a frown formed over her features as she remembered how he sent her back to the castle back in Twilight Town.

"Your mind's made up?" Axel asked. Roxas finally stopped walking.

"Why did the Keyblade choose me? I have to know. Besides, someone has to get Aurora away from them," Roxas replied, glancing over his shoulder. Axel pushed off the wall, suddenly gripped with passion.

"You can't turn on the Organization!" Axel snapped. "You get on their bad side, and they'll destroy you!"

"No one would miss me," Roxas replied, walking again. Aurora's eyes widened at the boy's words, but she quickly ran forward to catch up with his quick paces.

…

Once they reached the edge of the city, Roxas looked over at Aurora.

"So, your home. Where is it?" he asked. Aurora thought for a moment.

"I… don't know. I mean, the city was called Los Angeles, and it was on the planet Earth, but…" she looked up at Roxas's blank expression. "Exactly."

"Right. I'll take you with me to Twilight Town then," he said. She nodded, stepping with him through the Dark Portal as it appeared.

Twilight Town was just as beautiful as it had been before. Roxas and Aurora walked through the town, looking around, until Roxas sighed.

"I guess I'll start here, since this is where I first appeared," he said. Aurora nodded with a smile.

"Sounds good. And I'll help."

…

 _~Day 357~_

Roxas and Aurora hunted around Twilight Town for two days, without any luck. They were sitting on the bell tower. Roxas had his knees drawn up, sitting on the edge, while Aurora had her back to the ledge, not facing the drop. She wasn't too good with heights.

"Nothing…" Aurora muttered.

"Right." Roxas sighed, before giving a sad chuckle. "Where did I think I could go?" he asked, before putting his head in his arms. "What a joke."

"Don't worry, we'll—" Aurora started, when suddenly spotting a slim, cloaked figure. She walked over and sat next to Roxas on the other side. "Ah!"

Roxas looked up and over. "Xion!" he gasped, instantly snapping out of his curled up position. Aurora winced, picturing him losing his balance. Thankfully, that didn't happen. Xion didn't say a word, only pulled out three ice cream bars. She offered one to Aurora first, who took it apprehensively, then to Roxas.

"Thank you," Roxas said, and Aurora nodded.

She was sensing the mirror images of the sunsets again. The original sunset, she associated with Roxas, which meant the mirror had to be Xion. But… why?

She nibbled on the ice cream, before jerking it back, pulling a face. "Ugh… salty," he muttered, pulled out of her train of thoughts. The salty flavor gave way almost immediately, though, as a sweet one took it's spot. "Actually…"

"That was my reaction, too," Roxas said with a smile at her. He looked up at the sun. "It might not be exactly what I promised, but we finally got here," he said. Aurora smiled.

"Yeah…" she said, eating more of the ice cream. Xion nodded, eating hers as well.

Once the trio finished their ice cream, Xion finally spoke up. "Roxas… I'm out of time," she said. Her voice was flat. Monotonous. Roxas looked over at her in confusion as the girl stood up on the ledge.

"Whoa, be careful," Aurora said, moving from a sitting to a kneeling position. Xion ignored her, reaching up and pulling off her hood. Both Roxas and Aurora gasped in shock.

"Even if I'm not ready… I have to make this choice," Xion continued. "You have poured so many memories into me… given me so much… That I feel like I'm about to overflow."

 _(Memories? What?)_ Aurora thought, confused, as she watched the exchange.

"Look at me. Who do you see?" she continued. "If you see somebody else's face… a boy's face… then that means I'm almost ready. This puppet will have to play her part."

 _(P-Puppet!? What's going on here!?)_ Aurora thought in horror.

"Roxas. This is him. It's Sora." Xion turned to face Roxas and Aurora, but her face wasn't her own. It was that of a boy, with long, spiky brown hair. He had the same facial structure, and bright blue eyes of Roxas. If Aurora didn't know any better, she'd say that Sora and Roxas were twins.

 _(Wait, Sora!? Riku's friend! The one who he's trying to wake up… what do these two have to do with that?)_ Aurora thought.

Xion stepped off the ledge. Both Roxas and Aurora gasped, but Xion was _floating_. She continued forward as though she were on solid ground. Roxas reached for her, before pushing himself up to stand on the ledge, just as the girl stopped and pulled her hood up again. Aurora also stood, though she didn't step onto the ledge, too scared of how high up they were to bring herself to.

Xion turned to face them once more.

"You're next, Roxas," Xion said, reaching out for the boy. "I have to make you a part of me, too." Darkness surrounded the girl. "Don't you see? This is why I was created!"

The darkness obscured her from view for a moment. Once it faded, a pink and silver being floated in front of them, faceless except for a dark pink cross, much like the top of the Nobody's Symbol. It held it's hand up, and more darkness poured from it, wrapping around it and Roxas. When the darkness faded, so did those two.

"Roxas!" Aurora cried. She planted her hands on the ledge and looked down, making sure they didn't fall, when vertigo overcame her. "Whoa…" she muttered, stumbling back until her back hit the wall. She took a few deep breaths, gaining a clear head again, before looking around, trying to figure out where Xion, or Sora, or that puppet, or _whatever it was_ took Roxas.

Aurora didn't have to wait long. After about fifteen, twenty minutes, in a flash of darkness, the two appeared again. This time, Roxas was standing in mid-air over the station plaza, level with the bell tower. The puppet thing, however, was huge, standing in between Roxas and Aurora.

Aurora couldn't help the gasp that erupted from her as she stared at the thing with huge eyes. Roxas looked around the puppet, spotting her.

"Aurora, run!" he yelled, holding out a hand towards her. A dark portal opened beneath her.

"No, Roxas!" she cried as she dropped through, only to land on hard concrete with an "oof!" She quickly pushed herself up and looked around.

She recognized the sky and the buildings of Twilight Town. Good. Maybe she still had time to reach them before it was too late.

She got a little lost, but it didn't take her long to find the Station Plaza. Right before entering, though, it was like something flashed before her eyes.

"Huh?" she muttered. _(Why am I running? Where… Roxas is in trouble… but from what?)_ she wondered, just as she reached the plaza.

A girl Aurora didn't recognize, with pale blond hair and an Organization cloak, was kneeling on the ground as darkness faded from around her. Roxas was holding his head, staggering slightly.

"Who are you… again?" he asked as he walked towards her. "It's weird. I feel like I'm forgetting something really important."

"Ro—" Aurora started, only for someone to grab her from behind, putting a hand over her mouth, pulling her back. "Mphm!" she grunted, forcing her head back to look up. It was someone else in a black cloak. His hood was pulled up. From this angle, Aurora could see blond and the flash of light off of a pair of glasses as he dragged her back.

 _(No! Not this time!)_ she thought, slamming her elbow back. The guy grunted in surprise, letting her go, and she ran hard and fast, reaching the main Tram area. She glanced back as she ran, chills rolling down her spine and arms, as the guy gave chase.

"You were not yet free to leave the castle," he called after her, holding his hand out towards her.

"No! I won't fall for this again!" she yelled, activating her shield. " _Water!"_ A geyser sprang up from under her, launching her into the air, just as a dark portal appeared under where her feet had been seconds ago. She landed on one of the roofs and rolled to soften the impact, before turning to the guy. He was staring up after her, the setting sun gleaming off of the black blade of his Rapier. Her hands clenched into fists as the man stepped through a portal, stepping out of one that appeared on the roof.

"That's enough," he said. "Stop making a scene."

"If you want to take me back," Aurora said, getting into a fighting stance, "you'll have to kill me first."

"Do not tempt me. I have killed in the past," the man said, walking forward. Aurora frowned, getting ready, when it seemed like power flowed through her. She smirked and held her hand forward.

" _Watera!"_ she cried, using the second level of a spell that was quickly becoming her favorite. Water clones of herself appeared, surging towards the man. _(I have to make sure Roxas is okay!)_ she thought, looking back over the edge of the roof.

"Oh, this is gonna suck," she thought as she already felt dizzy. She glanced back at where the man was slashing at her clones, before holding her hand towards the ground. " _Water!"_ she yelled. A geyser shot up from the ground, and she jumped off the roof, riding the geyser as it lowered back to the ground.

 _(Oh man, I'm gonna hurl…)_ she thought to herself. She shook it off though, and ran back to the Station Plaza, really, really hoping Roxas was okay.

As she reached the station, she slowed to a stop. Roxas was holding the girl in his arms as fragments of light rose from her. Her feet began to turn into crystal light, and it was moving up her legs. Roxas glanced down at them, looking horrified.

"It's too late… for me to undo my mistakes," the girl muttered. "But you can't let Xemnas… have Kingdom Hearts. You can't."

Roxas was looking down at her with such sadness. Aurora stepped forward slightly, unsure of what she could down.

"Good-bye, Roxas," the girl said, as though she knew him. "See you again. I'm glad… I got to meet you. Oh… and of course, Axel, too. You're both my best friends." The girl lifted her hand, placing it on Roxas's cheek. "Never forget. That's the truth."

Roxas's eyes suddenly widened, just as the girl's hand fell from his cheek. He caught it. "No!" he gasped in a shaky voice. "Xion… Who else will I have ice cream with?" Roxas asked.

 _(Xion! That name! That's who she is… but… it's getting so hard to remember even just that…)_

The crystals moved up her body, and she began to glow with a bright light. The light rose, flying away. Aurora walked over, kneeling next to Roxas as they both watched after it.

A single sea shell, pink and yellow in color, laid on the ground in front of Roxas. He reached forward, picking it up.

"Xion," he muttered, tears running down his face. Aurora pressed her lips together, her own eyes watering.

"Roxas…?" she asked softly, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. He turned to her, wrapping his arms around Aurora and burying his face in her shoulder. Aurora hugged him tightly back, pressing her face into his hair and rubbing his back soothingly as the boy grieved for his friend.

Roxas finally pulled away, just as the sun disappeared fully beneath the horizon. "We should… find somewhere to sleep," he muttered. Aurora nodded, standing and helping him up, and the two left the Station Plaza. Eventually, they found a small, sheltered area that had a few things in it, including a dark green futon sofa, off the side of the Back Alley.

"Take the sofa," Roxas said, going over and sitting on some boxes.

"What about you?" Aurora asked.

"I'll be fine here," Roxas said, resting his back against the wall. Aurora nodded, taking her book bag off and setting it down as a pillow. She then laid across it, quickly falling asleep.

…

Roxas watched as Aurora got comfortable and fell asleep.

 _(I'm sorry, Aurora, but I have to go back and set Kingdom Hearts free. And I can't risk taking you into danger.)_

…

Aurora moaned softly as she felt someone shaking her shoulder.

"Not now, Roxas," she muttered.

"Roxas? Who's that?" a voice she didn't recognize asked. Her eyes snapped open, and she found herself face to face with three kids around her age, two boys, and a girl. The one shaking her shoulder was the girl, though it had been one of the guys to speak.

"Roxas!?" Aurora called, sitting up quickly. A piece of paper, folded up, sat where he had settled down for the night. Aurora quickly walked over to it, picking it up and reading it.

 _(No! You idiot!_ ) she thought, before gasping slightly. It felt like her heart froze over.

 _The path in the field, leading to dawn. Darkness suddenly covered the sky, swallowing dawn. The only light now was that of the stars twinkling overhead._

Aurora dropped to her knees, clenching her hands into fists and pressing them against her chest. _(Oh god. Riku. That was Riku's heart. What's happened to him!?)_

…

Hayner, Pence, and Olette watched in horror as the girl dropped to her knees, holding her chest as though she was in pain. Her shoulders were shuddering, and she was gasping for air.

"Hey, are you alright?" Olette asked, running over and putting her hand on the girl's back, rubbing it. The girl shook her head, too worked up to speak for the moment. They waited until she finally could.

Her brown eyes were wide and scared and she looked so alone.

"I'm lost," she finally said in a weak voice. Olette's eyes widened, and she hugged the girl, trying to comfort her.

…

 _~Day 359~_

Aurora settled in quickly to her new room. Olette had talked to her parents, and they were more than okay with her staying there until they could figure out where she came from. When she had been too worked up to think straight… she had told Hayner, Pence, and Olette everything.

The adults, however, they kept it from. Instead, she was just a scared, lost girl who had no memory before waking up in the usual spot two the day before.

…

Roxas groaned as he slowly woke up, the sunset shining brightly through his window. He sat up in bed, looking down in confusion.

"Another dream about him…" he muttered. He looked up at his window, before kneeling on his bed and pushing it open, resting against the window sill and enjoying the view.

…

Roxas quickly ran through Twilight Town, making his way to the Usual Spot.

"Maybe… today we'll finally hit the beach!" he gasped with a grin, thinking about how they hadn't gone this entire summer vacation. He couldn't wait to meet up with his friends, Hayne, Pence, Olette… and Aurora.

…

 **A/N:** Finally! This chapter was kind of hard to write, but I like it. So much happening!

I actually had to turn on the DS version for two parts: the battle with Saïx, and to see what Xion's final form looked like.

Riku's heart did that when he gave into the darkness to defeat Roxas.

Well, there we go! I hope you all enjoyed it. The next story will be going up soon, no worries!


	14. AUTHOR'S NOTE

**Author's Note**

Hey guys! The sequel, _Turnabout Hearts II_ , is now live! Go check it out!


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